The Hot Briquetted Iron Association (HBIA), an international group promoting the use of hot briquetted iron (HBI), announced Wednesday that based on member data, worldwide HBI production increased by four percent in 2008.
HBIA members, including all major global producers of HBI, produced approximately 5.6 million mt of HBI in 2008, which is four percent above the 2007 output level. Almost 4.5 million mt of this total were exported internationally.
Steelmakers in Europe (including Russia and CIS countries) received the largest percentage of HBI shipments for the second consecutive year according to production and export data compiled by the HBIA's Transportation Committee. Over 1.7 million mt of HBI (39 percent of total exported) were shipped by the seven HBIA producer members to European iron and steel operations. This represents a four percent increase from 2007 shipments.
North America was the next-largest destination for worldwide HBI exports last year, receiving almost 1.2 million mt, which is an increase of three percent over 2007 shipments. Other major destinations were: Asia (566,000 mt or 13 percent of shipments), Africa (514,000 mt or 11 percent), and South America (469,000 mt or 10 percent).
HBIA Producer members are (in alphabetical order): COMSIGUA, CVG Ferrominera Orinoco, JSC Lebedinsky Mining & Dressing Plant, MATESI, Orinoco Iron, VENPRECAR and Vikram Ispat. Quatar Steel Company was a Producer Member for part of 2008.