New technology to be developed to use alternate fuels in DRI production

Midrex Technolgies Inc., subsidiary of Japan's Kobe Steel, and Praxair, Inc., the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, have announced that they have signed a strategic alliance agreement to develop and market a thermal reactor system enabling production of direct reduced iron (DRI) with a variety of fuels such as coke oven gas. 
 
The thermal reactor system will use an innovative partial oxidation technology to convert hydrocarbon fuels into high quality, high temperature syngas (synthesis gas) suitable for DRI production.
 
Stephen Montague, vice president of sales and marketing for Midrex, suggested that the new technology could offer more attractive choices for the production of DRI, especially in regions where traditional DRI fuels such as natural gas are not economically available.
 
According to the statement, under this alliance Midrex and Praxair will perform a demonstration of the new technology at Midrex's extensive DRI research facilities in Charlotte, North Carolina, US, later this year.