AISTech 2019 — Proceedings of the Iron & Steel Technology Conference

6–9 May 2019, Pittsburgh, Pa., USA

DOI 10.1000.377.071

A Way to Produce Higher Steel Grades by Retrofitting Existing Syngas Production Plants

Dario Pauluzzi1, Alessandro Martinis1, Ashton Hertrich Giraldo1

1
Danieli
Via Nazionale 41, Italy, Buttrio, 33042
Phone: +39 0432.1958111
Email: d.pauluzzi@danieli.it; a.martinis@danieli.it; a.hertrichgiraldo@danieli.com

Keywords: Direct Reduction, DRI, Energiron, Gasification, steelmaking, EAF, Hydrogen, syngas, COG, gasifier, electricity,
value in use, CO2.

INTRODUCTION
Most of the DRI technology is available in those places where high quality iron ore and natural gas are available, the main
fuel source for most DRI processes. However, in certain parts of the world, NG is not available or is too expensive to be a
valuable feeding material for DRI.
Energiron technology can use different reducing agents in addition to NG, such as hydrogen, coke oven gas, pet coke and
syngas from gasification. It is worth noting that coal-based DRP can be considered as a good alternative to the conventional
gas-based technology feeding; however, the coal-based DRP are typically used for low productivity units, have a big envi-
ronmental impact, require means to recover the excess of export gas and are not suitable to produce high metallization DRI.
For this reason, it makes sense and it’s economically advantageous to couple a coal or petroleum refining by-product gasifi-
cation unit with a DRI plant, particularly in those cases where there is a large availability of inferior coal, not suitable for
direct use in direct reduction, or by revamping disused gasification plant.
ENERGIRON is a strategic alliance between Danieli and Tenova HYL for the development and implementation of the most
efficient and flexible technology in the current panorama of DRI production, to provide customers with the lowest CAPEX
and OPEX in any environment.
This alliance, which started in 2006, has recently been renewed for an additional 10 years due to the excellent results
achieved at several benchmark installations such as Emirates Steel DRI plants n°1 and n°2 (UAE), Suez Steel (Egypt), Nucor
Steel Louisiana (USA), Ezz Steel (Egypt). ENERGIRON technology is always a step ahead, today offering the most advan-
tageous way to use H2, without changing its basic process solution, for complete Zero CO2 Emission Steelmaking.

TYPES OF GASIFIERS
Gasification has been used worldwide in many sectors such as in chemical, refining and fertilizer industries, electrical power
industry and especially in the steelmaking industry. Gasification plants can use a wide range of feedstocks that include coal,
petroleum coke, and biomass.
Gasifiers can be classified by reaction temperature; those that operate above 1000 °C have faster reactions, while those that
operate in a temperature range of 350-600°C have a longer process reaction time. Thus, we have three different types:
• Moving-bed gasification (operating temperature: 500 to 1200 °C)
• Fluidised-bed gasification (operating temperature: 900 to 1000 °C)
• Entrained-bed gasification (operating temperature: 1400 to 2000 °C)
Reactions inside a coal gasifier are very similar to those of a gas reformer: a thermochemical conversion of a carbonaceous
solid or liquid to a gas in the presence of a gasifying agent that can be oxygen, steam or air. Gasification, indeed, refers to the
partial oxidation of a fossil fuel, forming syngas which consists primarily of hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) [1].

© 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology. 679

It is possible to divide the gasification process into 4 stages [2]:
• Heating and drying
• Pyrolysis
• Gas-Solid Reactions
• Gas-phase reactions

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ENERGIRON DR PROCESS

The ENERGIRON ZR Process solution (Figure 1) is a major step in reducing the size and improving the efficiency of direct
reduction plants. Reducing gases are generated by in-situ reforming within the reduction reactor, feeding natural gas as make-
up to the reducing gas circuit and injecting oxygen at the inlet of the reactor [3].
The current configuration of this technology employs a continuous reactor (shaft furnace) based process, with both the prod-
uct quality and process efficiency having been significantly optimized over the years. The ENERGIRON ZR technology,
jointly developed by Tenova and Danieli, is currently the most flexible option for producing DRI based on its uniquely sim-
ple process configuration and its wide flexibility for using different energy sources and available raw materials.
The Fe formed in the process itself acts as the necessary, continuously renewed “catalyst” for the reduction process. During
startup, some H2 and CO are generated by partial combustion (with oxygen injection) of process gas after the process gas
heater, starting the reduction of iron ore.

Figure 1. ENERGIRON ZR Process: In-situ reforming

Operating conditions of the ZR process are characterized by high temperature (~1080°C) and high pressure (6-8 bar A at top
gas). The elevated pressure allows a high productivity of about 10 t/h x m² and low reducing gas velocities of about 2 m/sec,
as compared to lower operating pressure processes for which the gas velocities are >5 m/sec. The lower gas velocities reduce
dust losses through top-gas carry-over, thus lowering overall iron ore consumption, which in turn lowers overall operating
costs. A distinct advantage of this process solution without an integrated reformer is the wider flexibility for DRI carburiza-
tion.

SYNGAS-BASED TECHNOLOGY WITH ENERGIRON PLANT

In 2018, the total world DRI production was about 87.1 million tons and most of the world’s DRI process was Gas-based.
Figure 2 shows the breakdown of DRI production costs, where we can see that the process fuel has a significant impact on
the conversion cost; this means that profitability of the DRI plant is also mainly related to the fluctuations in fuel price that
translates into a big impact on global revenues.

680 © 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology.

 COST ELEMENTS IN DRI

Syngas
Electricity
23% Iron ore
3%
Utilities Syngas
0% Electricity
Other
2% Utilities
Iron ore
72% Other

Figure 2. Cost Elements in DRI Production

For countries with availability of non-coking coal but limited natural gas supply, an alternate energy source can be syngas
from coal gasification. In this respect, due to the specific characteristics of the ENERGIRON process solution, the technology
offered by HYL and Danieli presents the most suitable configuration for this application, in terms of proven technology and
investment/operating costs. A combined Coal Gasifier and ENERGIRON DRP is a viable option especially if we analyze the
cash cost to convert iron oxide pellet into DRI.
The ENERGIRON process shown in figure 3 has the great advantage that the configuration is based on an independent re-
ducing gas generation and reduction section. The only requirement for the reduction process is a pipe supplying the required
amount of hydrogen and carbon monoxide with no change in the process.
For the Energiron process, it is possible to use a widely alternate source of reducing gases:
• Hydrogen
• Conventional reformed gas
• Coke oven gas
• Partially spent gases from other DR Plants
• Gases from hydrocarbon gasification
• Gases from coal gasification processes
• Gases from smelter gasifiers

Source of gas
reducing gases:
H2 + CO

Figure 3. ENERGIRON ZR General Process

© 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology. 681

By comparing the basic ENERGIRON Process solution to the one required for syngas, figure 4 below, from coal gasification,
the following main aspects of the ENERGIRON Process are noted:
General Process Scheme
Since the reforming system in ENERGIRON plants operates separately from the shaft reduction reactor, no major changes or
innovations to the basic process are required. In the case of ENERGIRON ZR plants, the reduction section is incorporated.
The reducing gas is generated in the coal gasifier to produce H2-rich syngas.
H2-Rich Gases used in DR Plants
Syngas is conditioned through shifting and/or CO2 removal to properly adjust the H2/CO in the reducing gases to the EN-
ERGIRON Process.
Water-Gas Shift reactors are typically installed in gasifier plants to adjust the syngas gas composition to the reformed gas
characteristics typical of ENERGIRON plants equipped with steam reformer.
Optimization of Process Syngas Consumption
Recycling of reducing gases through CO2 removal minimizes syngas make-up.
Due to the specific characteristics of the ENERGIRON process solution, this technology presents the most suitable configu-
ration for this application, in terms of proven technology and investment/operating costs

Fe2O3+3H2→ 2Fe +3H2O

Fe2O3+3CO→ 2Fe +3CO2

CxHy+O2→CO2+H2O+H2+CO

Figure 4. ENERGIRON ZR Plant with Gasifier general process diagram

According to the gasification Technologies Council [4], the global market of gasification plants is constantly growing, espe-
cially in eastern countries (figure 5). This is due to limited or unavailable natural gas reserves and to extensive coal produc-
tion (for example 1 718 904 ktoe only in China [5])

682 © 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology.

 Figure 5: Gasification capacity by Geographic Region [4]
Most of these plants are fed by coal (figure 6).

Figure 6: Numbers of Gasifiers by Feedstock [4]

It could be very advantageous to consider syngas from coal gasification as a viable feedstock for the ENERGIRON process,
especially in countries like China with high availability of coal and low availability of natural gas.
Another consideration can be done by analyzing the chart below (figure 7) from the U.S. Energy Information Administration;
we can see that between 2000 and 2016 there was a significant decrease in the use of coal-based plants for electricity genera-
tion, going from about 1,000,000 thousand tons in the year 2000 to around 670,000 thousand tons in 2016 [6]. This means
that today there could be many unused coal-based that could be retrofit to produce syngas for DRI production. In general
terms, the competitive low price and good quality of Natural Gas available in the US makes this the preferred reducing agent
for iron ore; however, DRI production can be an effective solution to employ syngas from those existing gasifiers that today
are no longer competitive solutions for electrical energy production. In fact,, DRI production ensures more profit than pro-
ducing electric energy, and the little or negligible capital expenditure required to retrofit an existing gasifier to feed a DRP
can be a virtuous example of a Circular Economy.

© 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology. 683

 Figure 7: Consumption for Electricity generation by coal, United States [5]
Considering the end-products that can be produced by a gasifier / coal based plant we can see from the bar chart (figure 8)
that revenues from a DRI plant can be most advantageous.

Revenue USD/ t of coal

DRI 647

Gasoline 290

PP 279

SNG 239

Methanol 328

Ammonia 441

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Figure 8: Revenues by end-product by using a gasifier

For example, for 1 ton of subbituminous coal, it is possible to obtain:
• 0.98 t of ammonia (mean market price: 0.98 USD/t)
• 0.72 t of methanol (mean market price: 0.72 USD/t)
• 0420 Nm3 of SNG (mean market price: 15 USD/MMBTU)
• 0.19 t of Polypropylene (mean market price: 1470 USD/t)
• 0.266 t of gasoline (mean market price: 1089 USD/t)
• 1.96 t of DRI (mean market price: 330 USD/t)
Revenues can be even higher if we consider the possibility to further increase CO2 capture up to 90%, and its inherent com-
mercialization as a valuable by-product. Examples are already present in Energiron plants.
The current scenario of CO2 capture and re-utilization from ENERGIRON DR plants is as follows:
Ternium DRI plants at Monterrey, Mexico
ZR plants of 0.7 M t/y cold DRI and 1.0 M t/y hot DRI - since the late 1990’s raw CO2 output is being sold to Praxair, which
after further cleaning, distributes the gas to food and beverage industries.

684 © 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology.

Ternium DRI plant at Puebla, Mexico
DR module of 0.7 M t/y cold DRI, whose clean CO2 is being sold to Infra for further use in beverages.
Emirates Steel in Abu Dhabi
For the two ENERGIRON plants, each of 2.0 M t/y of hot DRI plus the Micromodule of 0.2 M t/y of cold DRI, a common
CO2 capture facility is being realized as part of the collaboration between Masdar, ADNOC and Emirates Steel. This pioneer-
ing step confirms the feasibility of projects in which several companies collaborate to reduce the carbon footprint of the Na-
tion and make CO2 available for other industries. In the Emirates’ case, the CO2 will be utilized for enhanced oil recovery
(EOR) operations.

CONCLUSIONS
Coal prices and availability have historically been more stable than oil and gas prices. For this reason, coal is one of the most
affordable fuel resources in the world.
Considering the data analyzed up to now and the flexibility of DRP Plant feedstock, coupling a gasifier to generate reducing
gases with an ENERGIRON process can be commercially and technically viable, especially in those regions where natural
gas is not available or is present at a high cost. Energiron direct reduction plants can efficiently use any reducing agent to
carry out the reduction of iron ores: natural gas, syngas, blast furnace gas, coke-oven gas and Hydrogen.

REFERENCES
1. A reliable and Economical approach for Coal DRI production. Pablo E.Duarte, Edward O. Gerstbrein. AIC Conference
3rd Annual Asian Steel Summit, 1997.
2. R.C. Brown 2003, Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA
3. Duarte, Pablo; Martínez Jorge. By-Products and Emissions in an ENERGIRON DR Plant. HYLNEWS. June 2016.
4. https://www.globalsyngas.org/resources/the-gasification-industry
5. https://www.iea.org/statistics/?country=WORLD&year=2016&category=Coal&indicator=CoalProdByType&mode=ma
p&dataTable=BALANCES
6. Sustainable decrease of CO2 emissions in the steelmaking industry by means of the Energiron direct reduction technol-
ogy, Dario Pauluzzi, Alessandro Martinis. ICSTI, 2018.

© 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology. 685