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Siemens-Midrex Consortium Starts up World’s Largest HBI Plant in Russia

02/12/2008 - Siemens Metals Technologies and consortium partner Midrex Technologies start up the world’s largest hot-briquetted-iron production facility at Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Integrated Works near Gubkin, Russia.

Siemens Metals Technologies and consortium partner Midrex Technologies, Inc. have started up the world’s largest hot-briquetted-iron (HBI) production facility at Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Integrated Works (Lebedinsky GOK) near Gubkin, Russia.
 
The new direct-reduction facility, Lebedinsky GOK II, has a rated annual capacity of 1.4 million tonnes of HBI. There, iron ores, comprised mostly of magnetite, are first concentrated and processed to DR-grade pellets. The pellets are fed into a Midrex shaft furnace, where they are reduced to metallic iron. The reduced iron pellets are discharged into hot-briquetting machines, where they are converted into HBI with a metallization degree exceeding 93%. With an apparent density exceeding 5.0 g/cm3, the briquettes are well suited for transport due to the low quantity of fines generated during handling.
 
The consortium supplied the material-handling system for the iron oxide, which included day bins and screening equipment; the Midrex shaft furnace, including inserts and refractories; and the 17-bay Midrex reformer with recuperators.
 
The consortium also supplied the hot-discharge system, including the product-discharge chamber and briquetter feed legs, and the hot-briquetting system, including the briquetting machines and HBI-cooling system. Finally, the consortium also provided process gas compressors, the power stack system, product-screening station, electrics, instrumentation, automation, utilities, and advisory services and training. Briquetting machines were supplied by Maschinenfabrik Köppern GmbH & Co. KG.
 
Lebedinsky GOK is a company of Metalloinvest Holding—the largest mining group in Russia. The company produces high-quality iron-ore concentrates, pellets and HBI for the domestic and international markets. Feed for the new HBI plant consists entirely of % pellets produced from Lebedinsky GOK iron ore.
 
Awarded to Siemens Metals Technologies and Midrex in February 2005, this project was completed within 30 months, with plant startup in late October 2007 and performance guarantees achieved in December 2007.
 
The Siemens Industry Sector is leading international suppler of production, transportation and building systems. The Sector comprises six Divisions: Building Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility, Drive Technologies and Osram. In fiscal 2007 (ended September 30), Siemens Industry generated sales of around €40 billion (unconsolidated) with approximately 209,000 employees worldwide.
 
With the business activities of Siemens VAI Metal Technologies, Austria, Siemens Water Technologies, Warrendale, PA, and Industry Technologies, Germany, the Siemens Division Industry Solutions (IS) is one of the world's leading solution and service providers for industrial and infrastructure facilities. Using its own products, systems and process technologies, IS develops and builds plants for end customers, commissions them and provides support during their entire life cycle.