Cleveland-Cliffs Completes Successful Blast Furnace Hydrogen Injection Trial at Middletown Works
May 08 2023 - 1:40PM
Business Wire
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE: CLF) announced today that it
has successfully completed a hydrogen (H2) injection trial at its
Middletown Works blast furnace. This groundbreaking introduction of
hydrogen gas as an iron reducing agent in the blast furnace is the
first ever use of this carbon friendly technology in the Americas
region. The successful use of hydrogen gas represents a significant
step toward the future decarbonization of blast furnaces, which are
necessary for the continued service of the most quality-intensive
steel applications, particularly for the automotive industry.
During the trial completed on May 8, 2023, hydrogen gas was
injected into all 20 tuyeres at the Middletown #3 blast furnace,
facilitating the production of clean pig iron – the foundation of
high-end steelmaking. Hydrogen was used as a partial substitute for
the coke necessary for iron reduction, ultimately replacing the
release of CO2 with the release of H2O (water vapor) with no impact
to product quality or operating efficiency. The hydrogen was
delivered to the Middletown facility via the existing pipeline and
transportation infrastructure in place for the facility’s other
hydrogen uses, including for its annealing furnaces.
Lourenco Goncalves, Cliffs’ Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer, said: “We are proud to be the first Company in
the Americas to inject hydrogen into a blast furnace – a
demonstration of our commitment to develop and implement
breakthrough technological advancements toward decarbonization.
Cleveland-Cliffs thrives on innovation, so it was fitting that this
major step was completed just a short distance from our Cliffs
Research and Innovation Center in Middletown, Ohio. This
achievement proves our ability to use green hydrogen throughout our
footprint when it becomes readily and economically available,
including in our seven blast furnaces and our state-of-the-art
direct reduction facility. We are already the world leaders in
natural gas injection, and this success confirms there is a bright,
sustainable and environmentally friendly future for the much needed
BF-BOF steelmaking technology.”
About Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
Cleveland-Cliffs is the largest flat-rolled steel producer in
North America. Founded in 1847 as a mine operator, Cliffs also is
the largest manufacturer of iron ore pellets in North America. The
Company is vertically integrated from mined raw materials, direct
reduced iron, and ferrous scrap to primary steelmaking and
downstream finishing, stamping, tooling, and tubing.
Cleveland-Cliffs is the largest supplier of steel to the automotive
industry in North America and serves a diverse range of other
markets due to its comprehensive offering of flat-rolled steel
products. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland-Cliffs
employs approximately 27,000 people across its operations in the
United States and Canada.
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