EUROPEAN STEEL TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATION DAYS 2017 - ESTAD 2017

After a short decision making process voestalpine Stahl Linz decided in June 2013 about their largest foreign investment project for the installation of a 2.0 MTPY Midrex HBI plant in Corpus Christi, Texas/USA. A consortium of Primetals USA LLC and Midrex Technologies was awarded for the supply of Equipment, Engineering and Technical Services of the Direct Reduction plant as green-field project. The Midrex plant which consists of a 7.15 meter reduction shaft and a 20-bay reformer has an annual production capacity of 2,000,000 tons. The hot briquetting system is equipped with a hot fines recycling system. The cooling of HBI is done by cooling conveyors. The produced HBI with an average metallization degree of 93% and 1.5% carbon content will be shipped to voestalpine’s steelworks in Austria and sold to the North American market. After current commissioning activities including integrated plant tests and dry-out the Midrex plant will be started up in the third quarter of 2016. This presentation will cover the main commissioning steps and the first operation results of the world largest HBI plant.