- Upper Austrian innovation award for companies that fuel progress through ground-breaking technologies
- Smelter is designed to replace blast furnaces
- Significant reduction of CO2 emissions
Primetals Technologies has recently received the “Innovation award” from the Upper Austrian government. The award was presented at a special ceremony in Linz, Austria on October 21.
Smelter – a Solution for Production of Green Hot Metal
The Upper Austrian innovation award is given to companies that fuel progress through ground-breaking technologies. Primetals Technologies’ team that received the award has been developing the Smelter since 2022. This solution is a furnace powered by electrical energy used for melting and final reduction of direct reduced iron (DRI) based on lower-grade iron ores. It produces alternative green hot metal for the steelmaking plant.
“We are extremely thrilled and proud to win this prestigious award,” says Dr. Alexander Fleischanderl, CTO and Head of Green Steel at Primetals Technologies. “About 90 percent of the CO2 emissions in steelmaking comes from the blast furnace process, and this is still the main production route. We at Primetals Technologies are developing the Smelter to replace blast furnace plants – it is a key technology for sustainable ironmaking processes.”
A Green Steelmaking Route
Implementing the Smelter comes with two main cost-related benefits for steel producers. First, the direct reduction – Smelter – LD converter (BOF) route is utilized especially for low-grade iron ores, as it handles the generated slag well. With this route, the LD converter is kept after the Smelter has been implemented. Therefore, steel producers who operate integrated plants do not need to modify the rest of their production chain and do not have to renew their certifications when they invest in a Smelter.
Second, producers can keep the blast furnace running while installing the Smelter, and then discontinue the use of the old equipment as soon as the new furnace is ready for operation.
Primetals Technologies intends to implement the first continuously operating Smelter plant on voestalpine’s premises in Linz, Austria in close cooperation with the Austrian steel producer.
A part of the project team from Primetals Technologies at the award ceremony.
Smelter from Primetals Technologies produces alternative green hot metal. The technology has been awarded with an innovation prize from the Upper Austrian government.
プライメタルズ テクノロジーズ （Primetals Technologies）, は本社を英国、ロンドンに置き、金属鉄鋼産業におけるエンジニアリング、プラント建設、およびライフサイクルサービスの提供を行うパイオニアかつ世界的リーダーです。 当社は電機、オートメーション、デジタライゼーション、及び環境の総合ソリューションを含めた技術、製品、サービスの一式を提供しており、 原材料から完成品まで鉄鋼のあらゆる分野を網羅するだけでなく、非鉄分野でも最新の圧延ソリューションをお届けします。 当社は三菱重工グループ100％出資によるグループ会社で、従業員数は全世界で約7,000人です。 詳しくは、下記URLより当社公式ウェブサイトをご覧ください。www.primetals.com.
*ダウンロードされた資料は、プライメタルズ テクノロジーズに関するメディア報道および当社パートナーによる情報発信においてご使用いただけます。ご使用の際は、出典の明記をお願いいたします。
