Midrex Technologies Gets DRI Plant Order from Jindal Steel & Power

Kobe Steel announced on Monday the subsidiary, Midrex Technologies got order for world largest class of MIDREX direct reduced iron plant with 1.8 million tonnes of annual output capacity Jindal Steel & Power of India. The plant is world first plant to use syngas or mixed gas of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which is made by coal gasification facility, as reducing agent while MIDREX plant usually uses natural gas.

Jindal Steel & Power will transport hot direct reduced iron to electric furnace by conveyer, the system of which enables 15-20% higher electric furnace productivity than usual electric furnace.

Midrex Technologies got first order for the plant in 2 and half years. The order value isn’t disclosed. Midrex Technologies provides technology license including design and main facilities supply to Jindal Steel & Power. Jindal Steel & Power builds the plant in Angul, Orissa starting operation in end of 2011.

World direct reduced iron production was record 68 million tonnes in 2008. The production is lower in 2009 than 2008 due to worldwide slow demand. However, steel demand is expected to grow mid-term. Kobe Steel tries to get order for MIDREX process and new process of ITmk3.