Japanese steelmaker Kobe Steel has announced its US-based subsidiary Midrex Technologies and its consortium partner Luxembourg-based plantmaker Paul Wurth have signed a contract with Sweden-based H2 Green Steel to supply the innovative MIDREX H2TM technology for the world’s first commercial 100 percent hydrogen direct reduced iron (DRI) plant in Boden, Sweden.
The plant is expected to start operation in 2025 and will have an annual capacity of 2.1 million mt of DRI and hot briquetted iron (HBI).
In addition, Kobe Steel will invest in H2 Green Steel and has begun discussions with the company for the possible purchase of green HBI in the future.
A MIDREX® Direct Reduction Plant using 100 percent hydrogen as the reducing gas reduces carbon emissions to near zero. The traditional MIDREX Plant reduces carbon emissions by up to 40 percent compared to the blast furnace production route.
H2 Green Steel aims to reduce carbon emissions by up to 95 percent compared to the traditional steelmaking process.