Page 20 - Steel Tech India eMagazine Volume April 2022

VOL. 16 • NO. 3 • April 2022

Apart from this technology, there is existing Midrex® i. hydrogen has a high energy den¬sity by weight,
Process and HYL ENERGIRON technologies but all but a low energy density by volume when not
they have some amount of carbon footprints. compressed or liquefied. thus, the cost of
infrastructure for storing and transporting hydrogen
Further to the above, as per the press release dated Feb
can be a major obstacle in its development.
28, 2021 Mikhailovsky hBI, which was jointly established
by USM and Mikhailovsky GOK (part of Metalloinvest), ii. hydro¬gen purity, material compatibility, and
signed a contract with Primetals technologies concerns for safety.
and consortium partner Midrex technologies, Inc.
iii. Production of DRI through the hydrogen route will
to supply a new hot Briquetted Iron (hBI) Plantin
have 0% carbon with pure hydrogen. As perthe
Zheleznogorsk, Kursk region, Russia. The plant is
existing steel making routes in India, majority of
designed to produce 2.08 million metrictons of hBI per
DRI has to be used in induction furnaces or electric
year. latest design features ensurer educedenergy
arc furnaces which need carbon in the charge
consumption and environmental impact. the contract
materials for proper metallization and to generate
includes engineering, supplies and advisory services.
the heat for faster melting. It will be need to add
Startup is expected in the first half of 2024. this initially
some hydro carbons to achieve the desired carbon
would be on grey hydrogen and have the provision to
level. therefore, steel making through this routes
subsequently switch over to green hydrogen.
will not be carbon neutral
6. Indian Scenario
iv. Main barrier is low cost hydrogen and access to
In India, substantial amount of hydrogen is being already renewable energy. It is understood that main cost
used for the production of DRI/ hBI. One gas based component in the electrolysis process, the cost of
DRI plant is using hydrogen about75% and another syn electrolyte is about US $ 1000 per piece. today
gas based plant is using about 60% hydrogen. to be cost of electrolytic hydrogen is about US$ 8/Kg. to
completely carbon neutral, we have to opt some other be cost competitive, it should be between US$ 2
reductant. hydrogen production through electrolysis - 4/ Kg. therefore, it is imperative to produce the
process using renewal energy offers such options as hydrogen at a competitive price.
demonstrated in the hybrittechnology. It is imperative
It is felt that to begin with there should be gradual
to produce the hydrogen at a competitive cost which
transition from natural gas to the green hydrogen route.
can be subsequently used in the vertical shaft reactor
Alternatively, syn gas based route, which is being
to produce the green DRI / hBI. this metallic can
promoted presently by the Government of India, can
subsequently be used for steel production either in the
also be another option. Subsequently, this could be
electric arc furnace, Basic oxygen furnaces, electric
switched to low carbon hydrogen over a period of time
Smelting. As stated above, the current price of green
which would lead reduction in emissions.
hydrogen and lack of proven commercial technology
are major concerns. Nevertheless, it is a matter of 7. Need to accelerate Research & Development
great satisfaction that India is emerging as the lowest Activities
renewable energy (Re) producer in the world. It is 7.1 to resolve the above mentioned issues and
expected that green hydrogen prices in India will come other related issues, it will be appropriate to have
down substantially by 2030 as announced by major a National Demonstration R&D Project to establish
corporate houses like Reliance and Adani. the techno economic parameters. For this there is a

there are also specific issues about the use of hydrogen need to have R&D project which can be funded from
some of which are listed as under: the R&D mechanism in vogue in Ministry of Steel and

18 Steel tech