Midrex Technologies, Inc. and plant supplier Paul Wurth will partner to engineer, supply, and construct a 2.5Mt/yr MIDREX Flex™ direct reduction plant for thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG at its Duisburg, Germany, site.
The plant will initially operate on reformed natural gas, which contains 50% or more hydrogen (H2) at the inlet to the furnace, until sufficient H2 is available, at which time it will be transitioned to up to 100% H2 operation.
Plant start-up is planned for end of 2026.
According to Midrex, its technology provides the flexibility to operate on different ratios of natural gas (NG) and hydrogen (H2), up to 100% H2, enabling significant CO2 savings over the conventional coke oven-blast furnace ironmaking route, until H2 is available in sufficient quantities, which is expected in 2027.
The hydrogen-based DRI plant is a major step in thyssenkrupp’s conversion of its integrated steelworks to a climate-neutral production site.
“Midrex prides itself in being at the leading edge of technology, and with our SMS Group partners we are demonstrating that leadership in two first-of-their-kind green steel projects.''
Stephen Montague, president and CEO of Midrex Technologies, Inc.
Stephen Montague, president and CEO of Midrex Technologies, Inc., said, “Midrex prides itself in being at the leading edge of technology, and with our SMS Group partners we are demonstrating that leadership in two first-of-their-kind green steel projects. We have decarbonization solutions that can be tailored to each steelmaker’s situation to ensure long-term sustainability while contributing to near-term profitability.”
Midrex and Paul Wurth are also collaborating on the world’s first greenfield steel mill based on totally green technology for H2 Green Steel in Boden, Sweden, with MIDREX H2™ technology being used to produce 2.1Mt/yr of HDRI and hot briquetted iron (HBI).