MIDREX® Plants with 3rd Quarter Anniversaries
Midrex is known for designing, engineering, and servicing reliable direct reduction plants, as well as for making certain that these plants have long and successful operating lives. This issue of Direct From Midrex recognizes the start-ups of Hadeed E in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia (15 years), Qatar Steel DR-2 in Mesaieed, Qatar (15 years), ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas in Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico (25 years), Al Ezz Dekheila Steel – Alexandria (EZDK) Module II (25 years), ArcelorMittal/Nippon Steel India III in Hazira, Gujurat, India (30 years), and ArcelorMittal Canada 2 in Contrecoeur, Quebec, Canada (45 years).
Hadeed E
Started up 15 years ago in the 3rd Quarter
Location: Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia
DR plant: MIDREX® (1 of 4 modules)
- Start-up: July 2007
- Flowsheet: MIDREX NG™ (combination plant)
- Products: HDRI/CDRI
- Capacity: 1.76M tons
Hadeed (Saudi Iron and Steel Company) is a fullyowned affiliate of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC). It began operating in 1979 and added two MIDREX® DR Modules in 1982-83 (Hadeed A & B), a third in 1992 (Hadeed C), and a dual discharge HDRI/CDRI module (Module E) in 2007. Hadeed E has produced almost 24 million tons of DRI since its initial start-up in 2007, averaging 93.7% product metallization. The module is equipped to use seawater for cooling and feed gas, combustion air, and natural gas preheat to increase energy efficiency and productivity. Hadeed E primarily produces hot DRI (HDRI), which is transported to the melt shop via an insulated conveyor system. It is also equipped with a product cooler for use when the melt shop does not require HDRI.
Qatar Steel 2
Started up 15 years ago in the 3rd Quarter
Location: Mesaieed, Qatar
DR plant: MIDREX (1 of 2 modules)
- Start-up: July 2007
- Flowsheet: MIDREX NG™ (combination plant)
- Products: CDRI/HBI
- Capacity: 1.5M tons/year
Qatar Steel 2 is a unique plant design: a combination plant (hot discharge furnace capable of dual
product operation) equipped with a product cooler,which allows the production of hot briquetted iron (HBI) and cold DRI (CDRI). Qatar Steel 2 has produced 19.85 million tons of DRI products since
it was started up in July 2007. Together with Qatar Steel 1, a 400,000 t/y MIDREX Module, which was started up in August 1978, Qatar Steel has accounted for almost 48.2 million tons of DRI and HBI. Qatar Steel Company (QASCO) began commercial operation in 1978 as the first direct reduction-electric arc furnace (DR-EAF) steel mill in the MENA Region. The company became wholly owned by Industries Qatar (IQ) in 2003 and is now known as Qatar Steel.
ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas
Started up 25 years ago in the 3rd Quarter
Location: Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico
DR plant: MIDREX
- Start-up: July 2007
- Flowsheet: MIDREX NG
- Products: CDRI
- Capacity: 1.2M tons/year
The steel mill commenced operations in 1976 as a government-owned company known as Sicartsa (Siderúrgica Lázaro Cárdenas – Las Truchas). In the early 1990s, Sicartsa I was sold by Grupo Villacero and Sicartsa II was acquired to Ispat International (now ArcelorMittal International).
Sicartsa I was acquired by ArcelorMittal in 2006 to create what is now ArcelorMittal Lázaro Cárdenas. Over its 25 years of operation, AM Lázaro Cárdenas has averaged more than its annual rated capacity in producing close to 36.1 million tons of CDRI.
Al Ezz Dekheila Steel – Alexandria (EZDK) Module II
Started up 25 years ago in the 3rd Quarter
Location: El Dikheila, Egypt
DR plant: MIDREX® (1 of 3 modules)
- Start-up: September 1997
- Flowsheet: MIDREX NG
- Products: CDRI
- Capacity: 0.8 million tons/year
The integrated direct reduction/electric arc furnace (DR/EAF) steelworks located west of Alexandria in El Dikheila, Egypt, began life in as Alexandria National Iron & Steel Company
(ANSDK) in 1982. Al Ezz Dekheila Steel –Alexandria operates three MIDREX® Modules, which supply the melt shop with 80% of its metallic charge, with high-grade scrap making up the remainder. Through 2021, Al Ezz Dekheila Steel – Alexandria (EZDK) Module II has produced almost 21 million tons of DRI, which is a yearly average above its original rated annual capacity of 0.8 million tons.
ArcelorMittal/Nippon Steel India III
Started up 30 years ago in the 3rd Quarter
Location: Hazira, Gujurat State, India
DR plant: MIDREX (1 of 6 modules)
- Start-up: August 1997
- Flowsheet: MIDREX NG
- Products: HBI/HDRI
- Capacity: 0.65 million tons/year
ArcelorMittal/Nippon Steel India (AM/NS), a joint venture of ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, is an integrated flat carbon steel manufacturer with a crude steel capacity of nine million tons/year. AM/NS operates six MIDREX Modules in addition to a blast furnace and two COREX® plants to supply its ironmaking requirements. AM/NS India III has produced over 14 million tons of DRI since it initial start-up. The module includes a hot discharge furnace and is equipped to produce HBI and HDRI.
ArcelorMittal Canada 2
Started up 45 years ago in the 3rd Quarter
Location: Contrecoeur, Quebec, Canada
DR plant: MIDREX (1 of 2 modules)
- Start-up: August 1977
- Flowsheet: MIDREX NG
- Products: CDRI
- Capacity: 0.65 million tons/year
The steel mill in Contrecoeur, Quebec, Canada, began operations in 1972 as Sidbec-Dosco. The MIDREX Modules were started up in April 1973 (AM Canada 1) and August 1977 (AM Canada 2). The company was privatized and sold to Ispat International in 1994 (now ArcelorMittal International). The Contrecoeur works was renamed AM Long Products Canada in 2016. AM Canada 2 has produced more than 28.2 million tons of CDRI in its 45 year operational career.