Russia-based leading global iron ore and hot briquetted iron producer Metalloinvest has presented its development strategy to improve iron ore product quality at its mining enterprises.
Rinat Ismagilov, director of the mining production department of Metalloinvest, stated that the company’s goal is to produce a range of high quality iron ore products, from blast furnace pellets with a minimum 65 percent iron content and less than five percent silica content to premium DR-grade pellets with over 67.5 percent iron content and less than 1.5 percent silica content. “Metalloinvest continues to improve concentrate quality, while focusing on growing the share of high-margin products, namely pellets and hot briquetted iron. An important element of the company’s operations is the reduction of its environmental impact, and all of the projects we are implementing are aimed at significantly reducing emissions and energy consumption,” he added.
This year, Mikhailovsky GOK launched the production of a new commercial product - premium quality iron ore pellets. Direct reduced iron and hot briquetted iron production from this type of pellets delivers energy savings of up to 50 percent compared to smelting pig iron, while greenhouse gas emissions are 60 percent lower, as SteelOrbis understands.
Metalloinvest also indicated that its subsidiary OEMK is constantly increasing the use of direct reduced iron in its steel production, while reducing consumption of scrap metal.