South Korean steel major POSCO, the six-largest steel producer in the world, is taking a step forward in hydrogen-based steelmaking by spearheading the HyIS 2021 initiative to be held from 6 Oct’21.
The leading steelmaker will unveil the HyREX technology at the event, which is based on the FINEX fluidised reduction furnace, as opposed to the shaft furnace. The event is also expected to provide a platform for joint development of hydrogen reduction technology.
FINEX & HyREX
The fluidised reduction furnace, a facility that reduces iron ore to produce DRI, exists in POSCO and can be found in the FINEX (fine iron ore reduction) process.
In FINEX, iron ore fines and coal aren’t put into the blast furnace; instead they go through the fluidised reduction furnace and the melter gasifier to be processed into molten iron. This technology is basic in realising hydrogen-based steelmaking.
However, the difference between FINEX and HyREX is that whereas FINEX uses 25% hydrogen and 75% carbon monoxide generated during the process as reducing agents, hydrogen-based steelmaking, i.e. HyREX (hydrogen reduction), uses 100% hydrogen.
Cost factor
Unlike shaft reduction furnaces, the fluidised reduction furnace doesn’t require powdery iron ore. POSCO’s technical experts have informed that large fuel use and powdery iron ore consumption are major cost-saving factors of the new iron-making technology.
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