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International Mining ( ISSN No : 1747-146X ) is published monthly by Team Publishing Ltd , GBR and is distributed in the USA by Asendia USA , 17B South Middlesex Avenue , Monroe NJ 08831 and additional mailing offices . Periodicals postage paid at New Brunswick NJ . POSTMASTER : send address changes to International Mining , 17B South Middlesex Avenue , Monroe NJ 08831
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THE LEADER
A cleaner future for steel
Things are speeding up in the search for
cleaner , lower carbon steelmaking which has implications for the metcoal industry and the iron ore industry in terms of demand for higher quality coke in lower volumes and use of a greater proportion of higher grade iron ore plus lower carbon pellet production .
The HYBRIT ( SSAB , LKAB and Vattenfall collaboration ) pilot plant for the hydrogen direct reduction of iron ore started operation in Luleå on 31 August 2020 . Preparations will now start on scaling up the tests further on an industrial scale in a demonstration plant . The Swedish Energy Agency has granted HYBRIT Development AB part financing of SEK22 million for a study to establish the prerequisites for the demonstration plant . Among other things , the study will shed light on design , plant design , choice of technology , logistics solutions and not least , location . But a big part of HYBRIT ’ s success starts at the minesite – LKAB is already trialling biofuel for pellet production with a view to eventually going all electric with plasma or hydrogen burners .
In Australia , BHP has signed a memorandum of understanding ( MoU ) with leading Japanese steel producer , JFE Steel , to jointly study technologies and pathways capable of making material reductions to greenhouse gas emissions from the integrated steelmaking process . BHP is prepared to invest up to $ 15 million over the five-year partnership , which , it says , builds on the strong history of technical research and collaboration between the two companies . The company ’ s investment will be funded under its $ 400 million Climate Investment Program , set up in 2019 to coordinate and prioritise projects , partnerships , R & D and venture investments to reduce Scope 1 , 2 and 3 emissions , invest in offsets and support development of technologies with the highest potential to impact change .
The JFE-BHP partnership will focus on the role of Australian raw materials to help to increase efficiency and reduce emissions from the blast furnace and direct reduced iron ( DRI ) steelmaking routes , it said . The partnership intends to study the properties of raw materials , with focus on specific areas such as iron ore pre-treatment , use of enhanced iron ore lump , high quality coke and DRI , required to decrease iron and steelmaking emissions and support a transition to a low carbon future . Throughout the collaboration , the two companies will also share knowledge on reducing carbon emissions across the steel value chain . This JFE-BHP partnership follows other BHP investments to support the reduction of value chain emissions , including up to $ 35 million for its collaboration with China ’ s largest steelmaker , China Baowu .
Also in Japan , Kobe Steel says it has successfully demonstrated technology that can significantly reduce CO 2 emissions from blast furnace operations , combining the technologies of MIDREX ® in the engineering business and the blast furnace operation technology in the iron and steel business . This achievement is a result of the
VOLUME 16 • NUMBER3
integrated efforts of the Kobe Steel Group ( also known as the KOBELCO Group ) leveraging its diverse businesses , it said . The demonstration test was conducted for a month at a large blast furnace ( 4,844 m 3 ) of the Kakogawa Works in Hyogo Prefecture , Japan , in October 2020 .
The quantity of CO 2 emissions from the blast furnace is determined by the reducing agent rate ( RAR ), or the quantity of carbon fuel used in blast furnace ironmaking . In the demonstration test , it was verified that RAR could be stably reduced from 518 kg per tonne of hot metal ( thm ) to 415 kg / thm by charging a large amount of hot briquetted iron ( HBI ) produced by the MIDREX Process . The results indicate that this technology can reduce CO 2 emissions by approximately 20 % compared with the conventional method , the company said . In addition , the world ’ s lowest level of coke rate ( 239 kg / thm ) has been achieved in the demonstration test of this technology , the company claimed . Kobe Steel sees this as a promising solution that could become readily available soon at a lower additional cost compared with other CO 2 -reduction measures .
Rio Tinto , Paul Wurth SA and SHS-Stahl- Holding-Saar GmbH & Co ( SHS ) have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the production of a low-carbon steel feedstock . This partnership brings together a leading global miner , an international leader in the design and supply of engineering solutions for integrated steelmakers and one of Europe ’ s best-known steelmakers , Rio said . The partnership will explore the viability of transforming iron ore pellets into low-carbon HBI , a low-carbon steel feedstock , using green hydrogen generated from hydro electricity in Canada .
Iron Ore Company of Canada ( IOC ), in which Rio Tinto holds a majority interest , will supply highgrade iron ore and expertise in mining , processing and pelletising . Paul Wurth brings expertise in plant building and process knowledge in the field of highly efficient hydrogen generation and MIDREX direct reduction plants . SHS brings ironand steelmaking expertise . Rio Tinto ’ s significant presence in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador makes Canada a natural location for the project , it said .
The parties will conduct a feasibility study into the potential development of industrial-scale lowcarbon iron production in Canada , using the combined expertise of the three partners across the entire steel value chain . The feasibility study is scheduled for completion in late 2021 , with an investment decision on a hydrogen-based direct reduction plant at industrial scale expected to follow thereafter .
Paul Moore Editorial Director paul @ im-mining . com
MARCH 2021 | International Mining 3