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Eurasian Resources Group Partners With Primetals Technologies, Midrex Technologies for HBI Plant
10/20/2025 - A consortium of Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), Primetals Technologies and Midrex Technologies have signed a contract for engineering, supply of key process equipment and services for construction of a hot briquetted iron (HBI) plant in Rudny, Kazakhstan.
The MIDREX Flex® plant will produce HBI with a metallization degree of at least 93.5% and an iron content of about 90%. It includes a 7.15-m-diameter Midrex shaft furnace and a proprietary Midrex reformer with low-NOx burners for NOx reduction, increased top gas pressure and a flue gas hot fan. The plant will also have a hot fines recycling system.
“Together with our partners, we are establishing a modern, environmentally friendly production facility — one that brings in advanced technologies, reduces the carbon footprint, creates employment opportunities and contributes to the development of skilled human capital,” said Shukhrat Ibragimov, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of managers of ERG.
The facility will have a production capacity of about 2 million metric tons of HBI annually and a total investment of over US$1.2 billion, the companies said.
The project will also include level 1 and 2 automation systems. The companies said the plant is designed for a seamless transition to hydrogen utilization when it becomes commercially viable.
The companies said the project is based on direct reduced iron technologies using the MIDREX process; it uses natural gas instead of coke for lower emissions. The plant will process oxidized iron ore pellets produced by JSC SSGPO, a part of ERG, and can deliver hot product directly to a future steelmaking shop.
“The MIDREX Flex solution represents the most environmentally friendly technology for ore-based ironmaking, reducing the carbon footprint by more than 50% compared to traditional blast furnace production,” said Andreas Viehboeck, executive vice president and head of global business unit upstream at Primetals Technologies.
The companies said commissioning is scheduled for 2029 and will create about 1,000 jobs in the region.
“Together with our partners, we are establishing a modern, environmentally friendly production facility — one that brings in advanced technologies, reduces the carbon footprint, creates employment opportunities and contributes to the development of skilled human capital,” said Shukhrat Ibragimov, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of managers of ERG.
The facility will have a production capacity of about 2 million metric tons of HBI annually and a total investment of over US$1.2 billion, the companies said.
The project will also include level 1 and 2 automation systems. The companies said the plant is designed for a seamless transition to hydrogen utilization when it becomes commercially viable.
The companies said the project is based on direct reduced iron technologies using the MIDREX process; it uses natural gas instead of coke for lower emissions. The plant will process oxidized iron ore pellets produced by JSC SSGPO, a part of ERG, and can deliver hot product directly to a future steelmaking shop.
“The MIDREX Flex solution represents the most environmentally friendly technology for ore-based ironmaking, reducing the carbon footprint by more than 50% compared to traditional blast furnace production,” said Andreas Viehboeck, executive vice president and head of global business unit upstream at Primetals Technologies.
The companies said commissioning is scheduled for 2029 and will create about 1,000 jobs in the region.
