Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) continues to grow in importance as a merchant feedstock for the global steel industry, with a significant volume of trade involving maritime transport. The pace of growth can be expected to accelerate as the iron and steel industry progresses along the pathway towards decarbonization of production. Maritime transport of HBI is governed by the regulations of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), which include specific provisions for all forms of Direct Reduced Iron (DRI). Therefore, it is essential that changes in the characteristics of HBI and potential implications for it’s safe transport are well understood and are properly reflected in maritime regulations. Several emerging trends have the potential to challenge the status quo with respect to safe shipment of HBI, notably decarbonization of steelmaking and the expected medium-to-long term shift to hydrogen-based HBI, and in the shorter term, the trend towards flexible and higher carbon content of HBI.
As such the HBI-C-Flex Project idea was born at an IIMA technical committee several years ago and so we are delighted that the project has now moved from concept to reality. The official launch took place on the 1st July 2023 in Linz Austria with considerable industry support. Project co-ordinators K1 MET, based in Leoben Austria have established the HBI-C-Flex Project website - where you can sign up to receive newsletter updates – along with a dedicated LinkedIn page.
The project is 60% funded by a grant from the EU Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS). In addition there is a consortia of partners (EU-based) and Support Advisory Board members (International), representing a broad spectrum of steelmaking businesses, metallurgists, academic institutions and associations. For a full list of partners, please see the Project website.
A defined scope of work is in place with identification of scientific partners to undertake the various work packages 1-6. Work package 1 was a literature review which took place prior to the launch. The planned project timescale is 42 months, taking it to end 2026. Summary updates on the project will be posted on this page and in more detail on the Project site.
Update: HBI C-Flex project
The HBI C-Flex project now enters into its second half, after 21 months of project time. All the teams involved contribute with great effort and report progress in regular status meetings – so far 14 online and 4 in person meetings. The following activities have been undertaken:
- Selection of iron ores: The selection of the iron ores was finally made after intensive discussions to have a representative iron ore range available in order to achieve the project target. Three “BF-grade” and three “DR-grade” iron ores from well-known suppliers have been selected and are used for the elaborations.
- Reduction tests: After adaption of three available testing facilities and a learning curve on how to achieve the targeted results, reduction tests are being carried out…
- with different reduction reactors (BORIS, COREM, HUGE)
- at Midrex/Energiron conditions
- with different reductants (natural gas/hydrogen)
- Process model: A process model for DR shaft process is under elaboration having finalized the equilibrium model. The difference between the equilibrium model results and the literature data has been studied, considering the influencing factors e.g., temperature, gas composition, pressure, gas flow rate, metallization degree.
The next step will be a “user-defined” model which will consider the equilibrium equations, literature data and the project reference cases (HUGE, BORIS, COREM reactors). The target is to define an efficiency factor on gas utilization for carburization and to carry out sensitivity analyses.
- Briquetting of DRI is being carried out in an adapted stamp press. For each DRI sample a variation of compression pressure and temperature is applied. Subsequently parameters, e.g., apparent density, compressive HBI strength or compression energy, are elaborated and analyzed.
- Reoxidation tests: The briquettes produced are tested for their reoxidation behavior in different environments that simulate real industrial situations. Such environments include e.g., air, salt water, distilled water, water with air bubbles, … A first batch of re-oxidation trials was finished in May and respective results are now under evaluation.
A first review with the European Commission has also been carried out. The activities of the project (technical and commercial) have been considered by the external reviewers to be positive and in line with the regulations.
View IIMA regulatory background presentation.
More information
Useful links
Find out more information on the HBI-C-Flex Project.
