Primetals Technologies, a leading global supplier of services for the iron and steel industry, has forged a powerful alliance with Mitsubishi Corporation, Rio Tinto, and steel and technology group voestalpine. The consortium announced on April 8 the signing of a cooperation agreement to expedite the development and implementation of cutting-edge fluidised bed and smelter technologies for near net-zero CO2 emissions ironmaking.

The ambitious project will see the construction and operation of an industrial-scale prototype plant at voestalpine’s Linz, Austria site. Scheduled for startup in mid-2027, this pioneering facility will leverage Primetals Technologies’ innovative Hydrogen-based Fine-Ore Reduction (HYFOR) and Smelter solutions to produce hot briquetted iron (HBI), hot metal, and pig iron. This initiative marks a significant milestone as it will be the first instance of a hydrogen-based direct reduction plant for iron ore fines directly integrated with a smelter.

The core of the new ironmaking process, boasting a projected capacity of three tons of hot metal per hour, lies in the combination of HYFOR and Smelter technologies developed by Primetals Technologies. HYFOR stands out as the world’s first direct reduction technology capable of processing iron ore fines without requiring energy-intensive agglomeration steps. Since 2021, Primetals Technologies has successfully operated a pilot HYFOR plant at voestalpine’s Donawitz site, conducting numerous successful test campaigns that have paved the way for this larger-scale implementation.

Complementing HYFOR, the Smelter is an innovative furnace designed to be powered by renewable energy sources. It will be used for the melting and final reduction of direct reduced iron (DRI) produced by the HYFOR process, ultimately yielding near net-zero CO2 emissions hot metal ready for the steelmaking plant.

Rio Tinto, a major player in the global iron ore market, will leverage its extensive expertise in iron ore quality and preparation to provide crucial technical input to the project. Furthermore, the company will supply a significant 70% of the iron ore required for the new plant from its diverse global operations. Rio Tinto will also collaborate with Primetals Technologies to accelerate the commercialization of this groundbreaking technology.

The realization of this ambitious project has been made possible through significant financial support from both national and European Union bodies. Funding for the investment and operation of the prototype plant has been secured from the Austrian federal government’s “Transformation of Industry” program, managed by Kommunalkredit Public Consulting (KPC), and the “Twin Transition” initiative, managed by Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws). Additionally, the European Union is backing the venture through the European Union Research Fund for Coal and Steel within the Clean Steel Partnership (CSP) and the European Union Clean Hydrogen Partnership within the Hydrogen Valleys initiative.