Chinese mills eye DRI for their low-carbon future

Source: Mysteel Oct 26, 2023 17:30

Since the middle of this year, leading Chinese steel group Hebei Iron and Steel Group (HBIS) has been supplying its ultra-low carbon emission and low-carbon automotive steel to the Shenyang plant of German automaker BMW in northeast China's Liaoning province. The sheet, developed and produced by HBIS group member Tangshan Iron and Steel, uses direct reduced iron (DRI) produced by what HBIS describes as the world's first oxygen rich/full hydrogen gas-based DRI plant whose carbon emissions are 70% lower than from a blast furnace of the same capacity.

BMW's Shenyang plant, which has annual capacity of 830,000 vehicles, is HBIS's first customer for its 'green' low-carbon steel, though clearly the Chinese mill – like many of its counterparts – will be keen to expand its push into DRI further as more steel customers embrace a low carbon