Direct Reduced Iron Committee Activities

The DRI met 1 October 2024, Toledo, Ohio, USA

The DRITC held their fall 2024 meeting immediately preceding the DRI & HBI: Logistics, Production and Utilization Seminar held in Toledo, Ohio, USA. Spencer Hawkins, DRITC chair, welcomed everyone to Toledo and asked for introductions. Chris Pistorius, DRITC papers chair, reviewed the current status of the direct reduced iron (DRI) sessions being planned for AISTech 2025. There are currently enough papers submitted on the topic of DRI to organize six to seven sessions for the committee. Pistorius asked for session chair volunteers to assist in organizing and communicating with the authors slated to be in the DRI sessions. 

The DRITC’s 2026 Call for Papers text was reviewed and approved. The members then discussed any potential nominees for AIST Board of Directors awards. 

A review of the 2024 AIST DRI and HBI Roundup was conducted and any changes were noted in the minutes. Zane Voss, DRITC education chair, reviewed the program and attendance for the DRI & HBI: Logistics, Production and Utilization Seminar and Vincent Chevrier, DRITC Decarbonization Subcommittee liaison, updated the members on discussions being held during the subcommittee meetings.

The committee concluded their meeting by joining attendees of the DRI & HBI: Logistics, Production and Utilization Seminar for a joint reception.

The DRITC met 6 March 2024

In order to facilitate discussion with those around the world on the topic of direct reduction, the committee decided to hold this meeting virtually. The group commenced the meeting with their committee business, discussing AISTech 2024, their training course to be held in October 2024, and updates from both the Decarbonization Subcommittee and the Young Professionals member committee. The group then had two presentations from Tenova HYL and Midrex on upcoming DR projects around the world and the interesting technology associated with them.

The DRITC met 12–13 September 2023, Golden, Colo., USA

The DRITC held their highest attended stand-alone meeting on 12–13 September 2023 in Golden, Colo., with 42 people. DRITC chair Spencer Hawkins welcomed everyone in attendance. The committee met at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where they had numerous presentations from NREL staff on iron and steel decarbonization focus areas. Madhu Ranade led a discussion on the comparison of reductant consumption of H₂-based direct reduction processes with conventional direct reduced iron and blast furnace, Ron O’Malley gave an update on the Grid-Integrated Steelmaking With Hydrogen (GISH) project, and Kevin Galloway showed the evolution of Electra and where they are now. The attendees then toured the NREL campus and the next day toured the pilot plant for the GISH project at Hazen Research that was discussed the previous day.

The DRITC met 9 May 2023, Detroit, MI, USA.

The following officers were elected:

• Chair: Spencer Hawkins  »  Cleveland-Cliffs IronUnits LLC

• Vice Chair: Angelo Manenti  »  Metal Consulting

• Papers Chair: P. Chris Pistorius  »  Carnegie Mellon University

• Education Chair: Zane Voss  »  CIX Inc.

• Roundup Chair: Richard Elliott  »  Hatch Associates Inc.

• Young Professional Chair: Takshi Sachdeva  »  Hatch Associates Inc.

• Decarbonization Liaison: Vincent Chevrier  »  Form Energy

The DRITC met 6 March 2023, Orlando, Fla., USA.

The DRITC met before the start of the Scrap Supplements and Alternative Ironmaking 9 conference. The group discussed a number of items related to committee business. They finalized their sessions for 
AISTech 2023 and solicited session chair volunteers since they received enough abstracts for an unexpected additional session. The DRITC is actively looking for volunteers for officer roles, including chair, vice chair and papers chair. 
The committee also discussed expanding the DRI-HBI Roundup to additional countries. The DRITC also started planning its next conference, DRI & HBI: Logistics, Production and Utilization, which is scheduled for fall 2024.

The DRITC met 27 September 2022, Pittsburgh, Houston, Texas, USA.

The DRITC and IMTC held a joint meeting to discuss the opportunities in the steel industry related to decarbonization.
The meeting began with the two groups going through their committee business, including AISTech session development, award planning and discussion of upcoming training conferences such as Scrap Supplements and Alternative Ironmaking 9, which will be 6–8 March 2023.
The majority of the meeting focused on presentations related to hydrogen production, decarbonization efforts, and additional challenges to those decarbonization efforts.
Presentations:

• “Bécancoeur: Experience From the World’s Largest Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Electrolyzer,” by Jacques Senechal, Air Liquide.

• “Tangential Circularity — How to Integrate Energy Recovery for Hydrogen Generation Into Steelmaking,” by Tim Kleier, SMS group.

• “Refractories in High-H₂ Environments,” by Jesse Carreau, Allied Minerals.

• “Decarbonization Strategies and H₂ Usage,” by Brian Jamieson, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P.

• “Decarbonization Efforts,” by Joe Morey, United States Steel Corporation.

• Overview of technologies at Air Products La Port and Pasadena facilities and discussion on safe handling and transportation of hydrogen.

The following day the group toured both the Air Products La Porte and Pasadena facilities, seeing technologies in operation including steam methane reformation and partial oxidation of natural gas (POx) that are used for hydrogen generation suitable for carbon capture.

The DRITC met 17 May 2022, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

The following officers were elected:

• Chair: Mitren Sukhram  /  Hatch

• Vice Chair: Angelo Manenti  /  Metal Consulting

• Papers Chair: P. Chris Pistorius  /  Carnegie Mellon University

• Education Chair: Zane Voss  /  CIX Inc.

• Roundup Chair: Richard Elliott  /  Hatch Associates Ltd.

• Young Professional Chair: Jeremy Jones  /  CIX Inc.

• Decarbonization Liaison: Vincent Chevrier  /  Form Energy

The DRITC met 22 March 2022, Baton Rouge, La., USA.

Despite some rough weather in the southern U.S. barring travel for some members, the DRITC enjoyed strong in-person and virtual attendance for its spring meeting, with 31 members represented. 
The group began their meeting by finalizing their sessions for AISTech 2022 and reviewing the duties of session chairs. The group also went over the newest Steel Industry Fatalities report and shared any recent safety incidents in their facilities. 
The group spent some time discussing their upcoming Technology Training Conference, Scrap Supplements and Alternative Ironmaking 9, which will be held 6–8 March 2023 in Orlando, Fla., USA. 
Presentations:

• “Technology Features of CO2 removal and H2 Use in the ZR Plant,” by Jorge Martinez, Tenova HYL.

• “Decarbonization at Tata Steel IJmuiden,” by Jennifer Wise, Tata Steel IJmuiden.

• “Technical Standards Development and Maintenance for the Direct Reduction Industry,” by Thomas Battle, consultant.

The next day, the DRITC traveled to Nucor Steel Louisiana LLC for a tour of their direct reduced iron facility.

The DRITC, EUTC, IMTC and OSTC met jointly 28–30 September 2021, Toledo, Ohio, USA.

The DRITC, EUTC, IMTC and OSTC met for a day of presentations, a networking reception and a tour of Cleveland-Cliffs IronUnits LLC, in addition to each committee’s respective business meeting. The committees wish to thank Joe Greco for his help in organizing and conducting the tour.
David Marshall kicked off a full day of decarbonization presentations on 29 September by describing the achievements already accomplished and future pathway, including the Strategic Plan of AIST’s decarbonization subcommittee for technology development and resources within AIST. Energy & Utilities Technology Committee chair Larry Fabina gave a detailed look at the work inside the Energy & Utilities Technology Committee and their decarbonization activity, as well as the focus the DRITC, IMTC and OSTC has put on the subject.
Presentations:

• “Getting Started Down the Decarbonization Path — Developing a Road Map, Timeline and Budget,” by David Mysko, Hatch.

• “The Spectrum Decarbonization Possibilities With Current Technology,” by Chris Pistorius, Carnegie Mellon University.

• “Decarbonization Strategies in Steel,” by Abhijit Sarkar, Dastur.

• “Decarbonization With Oxy-Fuel Combustion,” by Pravin Mathur, Linde.

• “Injecting Plastics Instead of PCI,” by Dale Heinz, International Recycling.

• “ArcelorMittal Efforts to Reduce Carbon Footprint,” by Keith Whitely, ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P.

• “Green Primary Steelmaking and Green Electrical Steelmaking,” by Karim Alshurafa, SMS group Inc.

• “Iron-Air Batteries — The Catalyst for Steelmaking Decarbonization,” by Vincent Chevrier, Form Energy.

Direct Reduced Iron Technology Committee (DRITC)
Meeting Highlights:
The group had their business meeting on Tuesday, 28 September, led by Megha Jampani, Linde. They discussed their AISTech session development, safety, and the potential for DRI, hydrogen, or raw materials-based webinars.

Energy & Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC)
Meeting Highlights:
EUTC chair Larry Fabina covered a long list of energy-related topics and business items and then dedicated the remaining portion of the committee meeting to focus on the work by subcommittee members who are actively planning the Energy and Utilities — a Road Map to the Energy-
Efficient, Sustainable and Decarbonized Steel Industry conference, which will take place in March 2022.
Committee vice chair Anand Makwana is coordinating the selection process for the 2022 Energy Achievement Award.

Ironmaking Technology Committee (IMTC)
Meeting Highlights:
The IMTC meeting began with a safety discussion focused on the latest steel industry fatalities. The group had a hybrid meeting, allowing a number of people to attend that otherwise would not have been able to.
Felix Firsbach gave a detailed update with the current ironmaking paper selections for AISTech 2022. The group also requested volunteers for session chairs. The committee has also begun their award selection for this coming year.

Oxygen Steelmaking Technology Committee (OSTC)
Meeting Highlights: 
The OSTC held its business meeting on 30 September 2021. Discussed during the business meeting was industry safety practices, the OSTC sessions for AISTech 2022, the committee’s text for the AISTech Call for Papers, an update on the revision of Technical Report No. 32 and plans for future in-person OSTC meetings.

The DRITC met 29 June 2021, Nashville, TN USA.

The following officers were elected:

• Chair: Maude Levesque, ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada G.P.

• Vice Chair and Digital Transformation Liaison: Mitren Sukhram, Hatch Associates Ltd.

• Papers Chair: Angelo Manenti, Metal Consulting

• Education Chair: Zane Voss, CIX Inc.

• Roundup Chair: Megha Jampani, Linde

• Membership and Young Professional Chair: Jeremy Jones, CIX Inc.

The DRITC held a virtual meeting 1 March 2021

The committee discussed the DRI & HBI: Logistics, Production and Utilization Seminar, which was then held on 2–3 March. The next iteration of the seminar will be held in 2024. A recap of the seminar appears on page 232.
The DRITC then moved on to discuss the Steel Industry Fatalities Report, followed by a safety roundtable discussion.
The committee then discussed COVID-19 restrictions. There’s a wide range of measures being taken at facilities across the industry, including completing COVID questionnaires before entry and enhanced mask policies.
Mitren Sukhram, papers chair, provided an update on the DRITC’s AISTech 2021 technical sessions. There are 20 papers that have been organized into four sessions: DRI Operations; Hydrogen-Based DRI; Use of Alternatives; and Reduced Iron Purchases. The committee solicited session chairs.
Nominations for committee officers were then taken.
DRITC-sponsored webinars were also discussed. Jeremy Jones suggested organizing webinar sessions on DRI raw materials, with three or four presenters and a panel discussion. Furthermore, it was suggested to organize a joint webinar with the Ironmaking Technology Committee on DRI usage in blast furnaces. The webinars will be held this fall.
Presentations:

• “Supply of Iron Ore for DRI Production: Focus on the Seaborne Market,” by Chris Barrington, International Iron Metallics Association.

• “Status of Hydrogen Technology and Projects,” by Angelo Manenti, Metal Consulting LLC.

The DRITC held a virtual meeting 2 September 2020

Discussion included AISTech 2021 session development and rewording a portion of the DRITC’s Call for Papers text for AISTech 2022, as well as expanding the 2021 AIST DRI Roundup to include additional countries.
The DRITC is planning to hold the DRI & HBI: Logistics, Production and Utilization Seminar on
1–3 March 2021 in Mobile, Ala., USA. This seminar will include a tour of the Port of Mobile, focusing on loading and off-loading of ironmaking and steel products.
The DRITC reviewed the three-part webinar series it hosted this summer, which focused on hydrogen and low-CO₂ iron- and steelmaking. A recap of the series appears on page 164 of this issue. Check out videos of the webinars on aist.org/webinars!
The technical portion of the meeting focused on digital strategies for direct reduction plants.

Presentations:

• “Heat and Gas Dynamics Model of Induration Furnace,” by Claire Velikonja, Hatch.

• “MidrexConnect,” by Brad Cantrell, Midrex Technologies Inc.

• “Advanced Simulation and Control Systems of the Energiron Plants,” by Ashton Hertrich, Danieli Centro Metallics.

The DRITC had a virtual meeting 7 May 2020

The DRITC began their meeting by discussing the upcoming DRI & HBI: Logistics, Production and Utilization conference, which is scheduled to take place in spring 2021. Branching off of this topic, the committee then proposed the creation of a Hydrogen Ironmaking/Low-CO₂ Steelmaking webinar series in June 2020, featuring topics such as production and storage of hydrogen, direct reduction using hydrogen, and the impact of carbon-free direct reduced iron (DRI) on electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking.
The following committee officers were elected for the 2020–2021 term:

• Chair: P. Chris Pistorius, Carnegie Mellon University.

• Vice chair: Maude Levesque, ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada.

• Papers chair: Janice Bolen, Hatch.

• Education chair: Zane Voss, CIX Inc.

• Roundup chair: Angelo Manenti, Metal Consulting LLC.

• Membership chair: Jeremy Jones, CIX Inc.

The meeting wrapped up with two presentations. Vincent Chevrier, Midrex Technologies Inc., presented on the challenges associated with the production and use of hydrogen in direct reduction. P. Chris Pistorius discussed the impact of the use of hydrogen as a reductant on direct reduced iron, including physical pellet strength and chemical composition.

The DRITC met 2 March 2020, Orlando, Fla., USA.

The DRITC’s spring 2020 meeting was co-located with the Scrap Supplements & Alternative Ironmaking 8 conference.
The meeting began with a review and discussion of the AIST Steel Industry Fatalities Report.
The committee then finalized its upcoming sessions for AISTech 2020.
Committee officers for the 2020–2021 term were nominated. The final vote will take place at AISTech 2020. The committee also discussed the appointment of a Young Professional chair.
The DRITC plans to host the DRI & HBI Fundamentals Technology Training seminar in the spring of 2021. The location has yet to be determined. The group also talked about the next installment of Scrap Supplements and Alternative Ironmaking and the possibility of co-locating with the Advanced Steelmaking Technology seminar.
The committee finished their meeting with an overview of their fall 2020 and spring 2021 meeting schedules.