Russia-based leading global iron ore and hot briquetted iron (HBI) producer Metalloinvest has announced that hot briquetted iron (HBI) production at its Lebedinsky GOK (LGOK) subsidiary has to date reached 25 million mt. The first iron ore briquettes were produced at the enterprise in 2001. Lebedinsky GOK’s current HBI production capacity stands at 2.4 million mt per year.
One of Metalloinvest’s key investment projects at the moment is the construction of the HBI-3 plant with an annual production capacity of 1.8 million mt at LGOK. The company’s total investment in the project amounts to approximately $650 million. The commissioning of the new HBI facility will allow Metalloinvest to strengthen its leading position in the global market for high value-added products, as well as create more than 500 permanent jobs in the Belgorod region and increase the company’s contribution to the regional budget.