Nippon Steel Advances Hydrogen Direct Reduction Technology in Pilot Testing

Nippon Steel Corporation recently announced a significant milestone in its pursuit of low-carbon steel production. At its Hasaki Research & Development Center in Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture, the company successfully completed over 300 hours of continuous testing using 100% hydrogen as a reducing agent to produce more than 1,000 tonnes of direct reduced iron (DRI) from lower-grade blast-furnace-grade iron-ore pellets.

Technical Innovations and Challenges

The pilot-scale test primarily aimed to address two substantial technical challenges: the endothermic nature of hydrogen reduction, which can lead to lower temperatures in the furnace, and the tendency of lower-grade ore to powder during the reduction process, which can disrupt gas flow and process stability. Nippon Steel reported that they employed thermal compensation technology and operational methods designed to suppress powder formation, thus achieving stable operation during the test.

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