Midrex is to build a DRI production plant for US Steel

Midrex has signed a contract with US Steel to supply a Midrex process complex with a capacity of 2.5 million tonnes per year. The new direct reduced iron (DRI) production facility will be built at the Big River Steel Works steel plant in Arkansas. Production is scheduled to commence in 2029. This is stated in a press release from Midrex.

This project marks a milestone for the North American steel industry. For the first time in the US, a complex is being created that combines DRI production, electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking and an integrated supply chain for the relevant grade of iron ore. The project will enable the establishment of a reliable domestic steel production cycle ‘from mine to furnace’, linking US Steel’s iron ore capabilities with Big River Steel Works’ technologies.

The choice of Midrex technology is driven by its energy efficiency and alignment with customers’ modern environmental objectives. The use of the natural gas-based Midrex process, combined with an electric arc furnace, reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 50% compared with the traditional blast furnace and converter method of steel production.

Midrex currently remains the global industry leader: the company’s technologies account for almost 80 per cent of global DRI production in shaft furnaces and around 90 per cent of global HBI output. The new complex in North America is set to become the next benchmark for efficient and environmentally friendly next-generation steelmaking.

As reported by GMK Center, the American steel producer US Steel plans to build a $1.9 billion DRI production plant. The facility, to be constructed at the Big River Steel Works complex in Arkansas, will supply DRI to the company’s electric arc furnaces. It will utilise DR pellets from US Steel’s Minnesota Ore Operations division.