- 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.
普锐特冶金技术有限公司（Primetals Technologies, Limited）总部位于英国伦敦，是一家专注于冶金行业工程设计、工厂建设及全生命周期服务的国际化企业。 我们提供全面的技术、产品及服务，包括整合电气、自动化，数字化和环境解决方案。 涵盖了钢铁产业链从原材料到成品的每一项环节，以及适用于有色金属领域的最新轧制解决方案。 普锐特冶金技术是三菱重工旗下集团公司，全球约有7,000名员工。 如需进一步了解普锐特冶金技术，请访问公司网站www.primetals.com。
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