Posted on 09 Nov 2022
Australia-based Calix has been awarded a $947,035 grant by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to fund approximately 48% of an eleven-month study for a Zero Emissions Steel TechnologY (ZESTY) iron demonstration plant in Australia.
Calix plans to build a 30,000 tonnes/year renewably powered ZESTY-iron plant, which will produce green hydrogen for the direct reduction of iron ore to sponge iron, Kallanish learns from the company. With no carbon involved throughout the process, the proposed ZESTY reactor will demonstrate a new approach to zero emissions iron and steel, it says.
Unlike other direct reduced iron (DRI) technologies, Calix's indirect heating of the reduction reaction with renewable power means hydrogen is not consumed as a fuel, only as a reductant, and is easily recycled in the process. As such, ZESTY is targeting the minimum hydrogen use of 54kg of hydrogen per tonne of iron, enabling more efficient and economical production of green iron and steel.
In addition, ZESTY's ability to handle small particle sizes has the potential to more easily remove impurities compared with other (DRI) processes, which require pelletised and typically higher grade iron ores. Further testing and validation of this potential is underway.
This process will be applied not only to iron production, but also to steel production. Calix's ZESTY steel process involves the use of the ZESTY iron process feeding a standard (continuous) electric arc furnace (C-EAF), with the addition of Calix's Leilac kiln to produce zero-emissions lime. No pelletisation of the lime is required, while the lime can also be used to scrub excess carbon dioxide as well as other pollutants from the exhaust gases.
The study will include the Basis of Design (BOD) and Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) required to determine the final location, specification and cost of the demonstration plant before a final investment decision is taken.
Calix Managing Director and CEO, Phil Hodgson said that the decarbonisation of iron and steel represents a unique opportunity for Australia. ZESTY-iron is being developed to enable Australian producers to transition towards exporting higher value green hot briquetted iron (HBI) instead of iron ore, he adds.
Source:Kallanish
