UK-based plantmaker Primetals Technologies has announced that Russia-based Mikhailovsky HBI, which was jointly established by Mikhailovsky GOK, part of Russia-based Metalloinvest, and Metalloinvest’s holding company USM, has signed a contract with Primetals Technologies and its consortium partner US-based Midrex Technologies, Inc. for the supply of a new hot briquetted iron (HBI) plant to be established in Zheleznogorsk in Russia’s Kursk region. The plant is designed to produce 2.08 million mt of HBI per year. With the latest design features, the plant will be the largest HBI plant in the world and will be able to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact. The contract includes engineering, supplies and advisory services.
The investment in the construction of the plant is estimated at over RUB 40 billion excluding VAT. The project will create around 400 highly qualified jobs in Zheleznogorsk. The feed for the new HBI plant will consist of pellets produced from Mikhailovsky GOK iron ore.
The commissioning of the plant is scheduled to be in the first half of 2024.
“Mikhailovsky HBI project will help fill the growing demand for low carbon metallics that our industry desperately needs,” Stephen Montague, CEO of Midrex, said.