Hy4Smelt –Hydrogen-Based Fluidized Bed Direct Reduction of Ultra-Fine Iron Ores and Smelting to Green Hot Metal (Technology Talk)
Abstract
Die NEFI Technology Talk-Veranstaltung „Hydrogen Valley meets NEFI – Best Practices für Österreichs H₂-Zukunft“ von der Business Upper Austria im Rahmen von NEFI fand am 23.10.2025 in der Tabakfabrik in Linz statt und fokussierte sich auf die Rolle von Wasserstoff als Schlüssel für eine klimaneutrale Industrie. Expert*innen aus Politik, Wirtschaft und Forschung diskutierten Strategien zur Nutzung von H₂-Potenzialen, beschleunigten Innovationen und dem Aufbau der nötigen Infrastruktur in Österreich. Die Veranstaltung bot Keynotes, Best Practices und eine Podiumsdiskussion sowie Möglichkeiten zur Vernetzung und Mitgestaltung der Wasserstoff-Zukunft.
Full text
1 Coordinated by Financially supported by 23.10.2025 Hydrogen Valley meets NEFI – Best Practices für Österreichs H₂-Zukunft Hy4Smelt –Hydrogen-based fluidized bed direct reduction of ultra-fine iron ores and smelting to green hot metal Irmela Kofler K1-MET GmbH RFCS-2024-CSP-Big Tickets for Steel Grant Agreement no. 101193416 Horizon-JTI-CleanH2-2024 Grant Agreement no. 101192356
Steel enables the lifestyle of today ▪Global steel production (~ 2 billion tons / year ) accounts for about 7% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions 2.6 Gt CO2emissions* * https://www.iea.org/reports/iron-and-steel-technology-roadmap
K1-MET GmbH ǀ 23.10.2025 ǀ 3 Introduction to the research center K1-MET K1-MET is one of the leading international metallurgical research competence centers for ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy located in Austria. Area 2: Decarbonisation and Sector Coupling ▪Founded in July 2015 as limited liability company ▪Currently >100 employees and three research areas ▪~100 R&D projects with a total budget of ~55 M€ since 2015
4 Global Trends for scrap availability •Crude steel demand will be 30 % higher in 2050 than it is today •Much of this growth will be in emerging economies with declining demand in China, Europe, Japan, and South Korea •Contribution of scrap in the total steel charge will likely grow to 40 %in 2050 from 30 % than today •Process technologies for OBM (ore based metallics) will have an important role in future CO2neutral steelmaking Source: Worldsteel Association, Fact sheet scrap use in the steel industry, 2021
5 Iron ore grades and process routes •Majority of iron ores for steel production are fine ores with Fe <65 % •EAF process is not suitable for melting DRI/HBI with high slag quantities •Iron ores with Fe >65 %will not be able to replace low/medium grade ores in the future •Electric smelting furnace (Smelter) in combination with direct reduction enables slag separation for BOF and EAF similar to BF process Source: Mitsubishi Corporation RtM, Hy4Smelt consortium
6 Process routes for green hot metal Low/medium grade iron oxides HyREX Lump Ore Pellets Sinter Fines Ultra Fines •HYFOR (Hydrogen-based fine ore reduction) •HYFOR technology is an alternative direct reduction process for ultrafine iron ores that will not require any agglomeration steps •A combination with the Smelter technology is used for melting and final reduction of direct reduced iron (DRI) based on low and medium grade iron ores with Fe <65 % •In that way, green hot metal is produced with hydrogen for BOF or EAF steelmaking 20 mm 5 mm 500 µm Source: Primetals Technologies Austria
7 One of the biggest proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer units in the world with 6 MW power and 1.200 m3/h H2production at voestalpine Stahl Linz site for full scale demonstration of H2production and grid balancing •Ambitious efficiency target at nominal power •Wel = 48 - 51 kWh/kg •System = 82 % - 77 % •To demonstrate a CAPEX of < 1.000 €/kW for PEM technology •Stable operation tested from 1,5 MW to 9,0 MW •Dynamic response for all kind of grid services •Stack efficiency up to 83% at rated load •H2purity 99,9%, O2purity 99,0% Project Budget: 17,8 M€ Total EU Funding: 12,0 M€ (70 % funding) Project Duration: 5 years (2017-2021) PEM reactions Anode: H2O = 2H+ + 0,5O2 + 2eCathode: 2H+ + 2e- = H2 e-eClimate neutral hydrogen production European flagship project H2Future
8 Upgrading of H2Future pilot plant 6 MW PEM Electrolyser at Linz ▪Grid services to enable sector coupling ▪Reduce H2 production costs ▪1200 Nm³/h green hydrogen ▪Compression (500 bar) and trailer filling ▪Purification to hydrogen 5.0 ▪Use for CCU-technologies and H2-based steelmaking
9 Pilot plant HYFOR •Testing the performance of the HYFOR reactor and preheating / oxidation cyclone under real operating conditions •Direct reduction of magnetite/hematite iron ore fines with H2in fluidized bed reactor at 700 °C up to ametallization degree of 97 % •Grain Size: <500 µm •Batch operation with 800 kg ultrafine iron ore is equal to 200 kg DRI per hour •Pilot plant at voestalpine Stahl Donawitz site as technical basis for Hy4Smelt Source: Primetals Technologies Austria