Italy-based Tenova, a Techint Group company specialized in innovative solutions for the metals and mining industries, has announced that it has successfully started up its ENERGIRON Zero-Reformer (ZR) Direct Reduction Micro-Module at Bolivia-based Empresa Siderúrgica del Mutún (ESM) in Santa Cruz, producing the first direct reduced iron (DRI) on October 7. The milestone marks Bolivia’s first-ever DRI plant and a crucial step in the country’s steelmaking development.
The new ENERGIRON facility will annually produce 250,000 mt of DRI, supplying the melt shop with high-quality metallics featuring:
- 94 percent metallization,
- 3-4 percent adjustable carbon content,
- uniform quality suited for low-emission steelmaking.
First DR plant in Bolivia
The Zero-Reformer Micro-Module, which is jointly developed by Tenova and Danieli, forms part of a larger steel complex consisting of seven interconnected units: concentration, pelletization, direct reduction, steel mill, rolling mill, power plant, and auxiliary plants. Once fully operational, the new complex will meet nearly half of Bolivia’s steel demand, advance regional green steel capabilities, and reduce dependency on imported steel products.