Metso announces opening of cutting-edge circored pilot plant in Germany

Metso has officially opened its Circored pre-reduction pilot plant in Frankfurt, Germany. This investment demonstrates Metso’s dedication to developing low-carbon technologies and aiding the global shift toward fossil-free steelmaking.

The pilot plant, built on Metso’s proprietary technology, allows for continuous pre-reduction using only hydrogen as the reducing agent. It combines systems for pre-heating, reduction, gas cleaning, and recirculation of hydrogen and dust. Additionally, the plant uses electric heaters to enable nearly zero-carbon operation.

Parizat Pandey, director of direct reduced iron (DRI) at Metso, said: “This pilot plant is a significant step in demonstrating the readiness of the Circored technology. It allows us to validate process parameters and support our customers in their transition to low-carbon steelmaking”.

The Circored pilot plant allows testing of various types of iron ore, generating process data that supports the design of future commercial-scale plants. It also helps establish the optimal operating conditions for different ore qualities.

Metso’s Circored direct reduction process can be combined with their DRI Smelting Furnace or other smelting technologies. Both Circored and DRI Smelting Furnace are included in Metso’s Plus product offerings.

More information is posted on www.Metso.com.