Economics of HBI Addition to North American Blast Furnaces
(Room 208B)
10 May 17
8:00 AM
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8:30 AM
Direct-reduced iron (DRI) or hot briquetted iron (HBI) production in the United States is of increasing interest due to low natural gas prices. Alternative iron units (DRI, HBI or pig iron) can be added to the electric arc furnace (EAF) to dilute scrap residuals or replace purchased scrap, added to the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) to displace purchased scrap, or added to the blast furnace to decrease coke rate and increase productivity. This paper considers the economics of production of HBI using DR-grade iron ore pellets, and addition to the blast furnace (with and without additional sales tons of finished steel). The use of a blast furnace–grade pellet with lower metallization in the DR reactor will also be considered to see if this improves the economics of HBI addition to the blast furnace.