Italian plantmaker Danieli, Swedish heating technology provider Kanthal, and UAE-based steel giant Emsteel have joined forces to launch a pilot project for electric process-gas heating at Emsteel’s DRI plant in Abu Dhabi. This marks a milestone in the decarbonization of steel production, as it is the first time electric heating for process gas is being deployed on an industrial scale.
The initiative will see the installation of a 1.3-megawatt electric process-gas heater, which will integrate with the existing Energiron DRI process, co-developed by Tenova and Danieli. The installation and commissioning are planned for 2026.
The pilot unit will rely on Prothal DH technology, jointly developed by Danieli and Kanthal. This compact and modular electric heating system is designed for high efficiency and flexible operation, running in parallel with Emsteel’s existing fired heater.
