According to local media reports, South Korean steelmaker Hyundai Steel has launched the construction of a pilot facility for direct reduced iron (DRI) production at its Dangjin Steelworks, as part of preparations for a future steel mill investment in the US.
The pilot facility will be used to test multiple direct reduction processes, including hydrogen-based and gas-based routes, before applying the results to its planned integrated steel mill project in the United States. As previously reported by SteelOrbis, Hyundai Steel announced in March last year an investment to build a new steel mill in Louisiana, US.
According to the reports, the pilot facility is designed to produce approximately 30 kilograms of molten iron per hour. Hyundai Steel aims to begin operating the facility next year, with trial production of steel products serving as a basis for advancing preparations for its steel mill project in Louisiana.
Dangjin was selected as the location for the pilot facility because a hydrogen production plant has been operating at the steelworks site since 2016, providing the necessary infrastructure to test hydrogen-based direct reduction technologies.
