Recently, Blastr Green Steel, an Oslo-based green steel production company, selected Primetals Technologies as its technology partner for the development of a new steel production complex with an annual capacity of 2.5 million tons in Inkoo, near the Finnish city of Helsinki.
The steel mill and an integrated hydrogen production plant will create around 1,000 direct and 4,600 indirect jobs in Finland once it is operational. As a market leader in environmental and energy efficiency solutions for the metals industry with numerous innovative solutions in its portfolio, Primetals Technologies will ensure that the new plants meet the latest industry standards.
“This partnership is an important milestone on our journey towards sustainable steel production and decarbonization of the steel value chain. By combining our strengths with industry leaders, we are able to drive innovation and shape the future of steel production," said Mark Bula, CEO of Blastr Green Steel.
DRI plant and MIDREX
The MIDREX H2 plant, powered by 100 percent green hydrogen, will be provided by a consortium of Midrex and Primetals Technologies. The plant will produce hot DRI for direct feeding to the steel mill, as well as hot briquetted iron (HBI). This will enable Blastr to decarbonize further value chains by supplying its customers with extremely low carbon iron raw materials.
"We are pleased and excited about Blastr's choice of MIDREX H2 as its DR technology. The combination of 100 percent hydrogen-based HDRI and HBI production enables Blastr to play an important role in the decarbonization of European iron and steel production," explains Midrex President and CEO K.C. Woody.
Secondary metallurgy facilities
In addition, Primetals Technologies will supply an electric arc furnace-based steel plant with a 300-ton EAF Ultimate designed for direct feeding with hot DRI and featuring short tapping times, fully automated operation and advanced control systems. A comprehensive secondary metallurgy facility is planned with a ladle furnace and an RH plant.
The secondary metallurgy facilities will enable Blastr to produce high-quality steel grades for the demanding automotive sector. In addition, Primetals Technologies will supply an exhaust gas treatment system and a heat recovery plant for the electric arc furnace, ensuring the most efficient reuse of energy.
"The production process will be complemented by digital technologies, the use of robots will be increased and advanced remote control solutions will be used to enable the most autonomous operation possible and increase workplace safety, which is a top priority for this project," says Andreas Viehböck, Head of Upstream Technologies at Primetals Technologies.
Arvedi ESP
An Arvedi ESP thin slab casting and hot rolling plant and a state-of-the-art pickling and galvanizing plant for producing a variety of hot-rolled steel products such as coated steel sheets for various industrial applications are also included in the partnership.
"Blastr's ultra-low CO₂ targets require technology that reduces direct CO₂ emissions in steel production to zero. The MIDREX plant, which is equipped with an electric heater as an alternative to a gas-fired reformer/heater, and the Arvedi ESP technology, an officially certified carbon-neutral thin slab casting and hot rolling plant, will be the first step in the partnership. Hot rolling processes are two key technologies that we need to achieve our ambitious emissions targets," says Mikael Lindvall, Chief Technology Officer of Blastr Green Steel.
Focus on digitalization
Primetals Technologies is also responsible for the entire electrical and automation area. This includes complete process automation as well as digitalization solutions for optimized production and energy management and comprehensive quality control systems. The construction of a state-of-the-art, integrated and green steel production plant on a greenfield site is a process that places great expectations on the supplier.
This also applies to the automation solutions, where the need for rapid learning and evaluation will be particularly high. During the conceptual development of the plant, a special focus was placed on digitalization and the increased use of robots. AI and advanced remote control solutions are also planned to enable the highest possible degree of autonomy.
This will lead to a high level of occupational safety and optimization of the production process, allowing a rapid scale-up to full production capacity and a lean process right from the start. In addition, numerous AI-based digital assistance systems integrated into a Central Operation Cockpit (COC) will provide the operating personnel with all the information they need to operate the plant efficiently.