US-based Midrex Technologies Inc and Synthesis Energy Systems (SES), has signed a Project Alliance Agreement that expands the company’s ‘exclusive relationship for integration and optimisation of direct reduction ironmaking (DRI) using coal gasification.
The agreement means that Midrex will take the lead in terms of marketing, sales, proposal development and project execution for coal gasification DRI projects and may also lead the construction of fully integrated solutions for customers, with SES providing gasification services.
According to James D McClaskey, president and CEO of Midrex Technologies Inc, pairing SES gasification technology with Midrex’s MXCOL DRI system represents the future of cleaner, high quality ironmaking, especially in regions with limited natural gas resources. He said that by combining the two technologies new markets would be opened up for DRI.
SES’ technology claims to be ‘uniquely capable of cleanly converting even extremely high-ash low-rank coals into valuable syngas for DRI production in areas, like India, where there is limited access to low-cost natural gas but abundant low-grade coal resources.
SES president and CEO Robert W Rigton said that the company entered into a strategic partnership with MIDREX because of its leadership position in the global DRI industry.