Cleveland-Cliffs tests hydrogen injection into blast furnace at Indiana Harbor

US steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs has announced that it has successfully completed hydrogen injection tests at blast furnace (BF) No. 7 at its Indiana Harbor steelmaking facility. The company said in a statement.

According to Cliffs, this blast furnace is one of the largest in the world in terms of volume and production capacity, and compares favorably with similar equipment in Japan, Korea, China and Europe in terms of technological capabilities for the production of high-quality steels, including highly specialized raw materials for the automotive industry. The unit is the company’s second BF to use hydrogen as a reducing agent and fuel source, following a successful test at Middletown Works last May.

The test, in which Linde, Cliffs’ hydrogen supplier, was a partner, used an early-commissioned hydrogen pipeline in Indiana Harbor.

«Blast Furnace 7 in Indiana is the largest blast furnace in North America, and we are proud of our ability to stay ahead of the curve in utilizing this advanced technology for decarbonization while maintaining our efficiency and high standard of blast furnace steel quality,» noted the chairman Board of Directors, Cleveland-Cliffs President and CEO Lorenzo Gonçalves.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Thyssenkrupp is preparing a tender for the purchase of up to 151 ktpa of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen under 10-year contracts for expected volumes starting in 2028 for its Duisburg steel plant. The first stage of the tender will start in February this year, when interested companies will receive requests for information.