HyREX®: Low-Carbon Ironmaking Process

The HyREX® (Hydrogen Reduction Ironmaking) process provides a hydrogen-based alternative to the traditional blast furnace route. By utilizing hydrogen as the reducing agent in place of coal, plus green electricity for melting, this technology has the potential to substantially lower carbon emissions in ironmaking. The HyREX® process uses a fluidized bed reactor cascade for reduction and a smelter for smelting, carburization, and slag forming. It produces hot metal and slag of comparable quality to blast furnace. This technology allows using iron ores (sinter feed size) as charge material, eliminating the need for sintering and pelletizing plants. As a result, it is compatible with over 50% of the world's available iron ore grades. By using hydrogen as a reducing agent and green electricity for melting, the HyREX® technology significantly reduces carbon emissions, positioning it as an environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional blast furnace route.

*HyREX is a registration of POSCO, Korea

The HyREX® process uses a fluidized bed reactor cascade to pre-reduce iron ore fines. Iron ore fines and hot reducing gas (mainly hydrogen) pass through the reactors in countercurrent. The reduction degree of the produced DRI out of the fluidized bed reactors is up to 90%. Hot direct reduced iron (DRI) fines leave the last reactor via a pneumatic riser system to be collected in a feed bin and melted in a subsequent melting stage (Smelter). Since hydrogen is the reducing agent, no CO₂ is produced.