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Midrex, Primetals Win Contract for Proposed Merchant HBI Plant

“The MIDREX process is the technology responsible for nearly two-thirds of the world’s annual DRI production and the primary technology behind most HBI produced today, thus it was a logical choice for us,” said International Metallics Corp. (SIM) president Daubeny B. Cooper III in a statement. “SIM will produce the best HBI in the world by merging this state-of-art-technology with high-quality and strategically located iron ore. 

“Coupled with a friendly business environment and historically proven performance, SIM’s new plant is positioned to be a leader in clean iron reducing and in the secondary transformation processing of iron ore in the province of Quebec.”

The merchant plant is being designed with a production capacity of 2 million metric tons per year, and would sit along the Saint Lawrence River at the Becancour Waterfront Industrial Park in Becancour.

Midrex and Primetals will provide the backbone equipment for the plant, which will employ the MIDREX NG process. It would be one of the largest HBI plants in the world, Midrex and Primetals said in a joint statement.

‘‘Midrex built two of its first ironmaking plants in Quebec nearly 40 years ago, so it is a pleasure for us to come back to Canada with our latest technology advances,” said Midrex president and CEO James D. McClaskey.

“HBI demand continues to grow, and with this new plant SIM will be in a prime position to supply various steelmakers worldwide by capitalizing on the expertise and natural resources of the local region.”

Construction is to begin in 2017, with start-up planned for 2019. International Metallics is the U.S.-based development company that is building the project.