Tag Archives: Matthias Gabriel

Metso and Rio Tinto to work on continuous pilot plant for BioIron process

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

Rio Tinto has awarded Metso a detailed design and engineering contract for its continuous pilot plant (CPP) for the BioIron™ process.

The contract is an extension of the work that Rio Tinto and Metso have been doing together on the development of the BioIron process, the effectiveness of which was successfully proven through small-scale pilot tests conducted at Metso’s Research Center in Frankfurt, Germany.

The process uses raw biomass instead of metallurgical coal as a reductant and microwave energy to convert Pilbara iron ore to metallic iron in the steelmaking process. BioIron has the potential to support near-zero CO2 steelmaking, and can result in net negative emissions if linked with carbon capture and storage, according to Rio Tinto.

Rio aims to move further towards full-scale implementation of the BioIron technology through operation of a CPP, according to Metso, with the OEM entrusted with the detailed design of the CPP’s reduction furnace and certain other equipment for the BioIron process.

David Leigh, General Manager Steel Decarbonisation at Rio Tinto, said: “This work is the key next step in the development of the BioIron technology and builds on the success of the research and development team.”

Matthias Gabriel, Director, Ferrous at Metso, added: “We are very excited to continue the close working relationship with Rio Tinto and to provide engineering and design support as we move to the next phase of development of the BioIron technology.”

Metso Outotec launches carbon-neutral and autonomous pelletising concept

Automation, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec is launching NextGen Pelletizing™, a visionary concept for the next generation of pelletising plants that, it says, strive to be carbon-neutral and autonomous.

This concept is a part of the company’s Planet Positive offering focused on environmentally efficient technologies.

Attaul Ahmad, Vice President, Ferrous and Heat Transfer business at Metso Outotec, said: “NextGen Pelletizing is yet further proof of our strong commitment to building innovative pelletising solutions that are sustainable and contribute to climate targets. It offers significant benefits and will help the industry decarbonise, providing an 80-90% reduction in CO2 emissions.”

NextGen Pelletizing offers unmatched benefits, according to the company, including further energy reductions of 5-10%, production and availability increases of 10-15%, and improved product homogeneity and quality to support the transition of the steel industry.

The concept considers all relevant factors for energy efficiency, plant production and pellet quality to enable a holistic optimisation of the performance of the pelletising process, the company says. It follows a modular approach to minimise the sources of CO2 from the three carbon-intensive steps involved in pelletising and introduces further improved gas schemes, advanced combustion and burner technology (low NOx, hydrogen, and alternative fuels) as well as increased plant stability and performance through advanced process control.

Matthias Gabriel, Director, Ferrous technologies at Metso Outotec, added: “Pelletising is and will remain crucial in the future for the industry’s transition to green, carbon-neutral steel production. I am really excited about NextGen Pelletizing, which I firmly believe will completely revolutionise the way pelletising plants are built or operated in the future.

“The best part about NextGen Pelletizing is that it can be implemented fully or in parts, depending on the customer needs. And it can be easily upgraded in existing plants. Our experts will continue to evolve this vision with improved and innovative processes and tools.”

As the original inventor of the pelletising process, Metso Outotec’s NextGen Pelletizing also offers an exhaustive suite of digital solutions that help improve process performance, production capacity, and product quality as well as reduce energy consumption, environmental impact, and operation and maintenance costs, Metso Outotec says. These solutions include VisioPellet™ , Ferroflame LowNox burner, the Pallet Car Condition Monitoring System, and the Training Simulator, among others.

Metso Outotec has an installed worldwide base of over 120 pelletising plants.

Metso Outotec to provide compact pelletising option to iron ore market

Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it has optimised its existing induration technology offering and is launching its Compact-sized Pellet Plant.

The plant design is based on a 3-m-wide indurating machine, building on the design of Metso Outotec’s larger product range. It is billed as offering the same high plant performance and premium product quality as the larger size plants.

Metso Outotec Compact-sized Pellet Plant will be offered in sizes of 189 sq.m (1.2-1.5 Mt/y capacity), 288 sq.m (1.7-2.3 Mt/y) and 315 sq.m (2-2.6 Mt/y).

The new plant design is cost efficient with optimised delivery time, thanks to high standardisation in design and project execution, according to Metso Outotec. At the same time, the design provides the required flexibility to cater to typical customer demands, and customers can also customise the basic offering with add-on packages.

Matthias Gabriel, Director, Ferrous Product Group at Metso Outotec, said: “We are very excited to launch the Compact-sized Pellet Plant. We aim to cater to the flourishing mid-size concentrate producer segment needs with this new offering.

“Conventionally, 4 m is the commonly available and most-used technology. However, today there is an increasing demand for plants with smaller capacities. We have already won an order for this technology and will be installing our first 3-m-wide travelling grate pellet plant in Nagarnagar, Chhattisgarh, in central India. The plant, which will produce 2 Mt/y of high-quality iron ore pellets, is expected to go into production in 2024.”

Metso Outotec is a leading supplier of travelling grate pelletising technology with an installed worldwide base of over 100 plants. Its technology provides dependable process performance with an emphasis on optimising fuel efficiency and minimal emissions.