Vale and Porto do Açu have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to study the development of a Mega Hub in northern Rio de Janeiro state for the production of HBI (“hot briquetted iron”). The industrial complex will initially receive pellets from Vale and may include an iron ore briquette plant to feed the HBI plant, an essential raw material for decarbonizing the Brazilian steel industry. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative as it involves a technical study coordinated by Açu Port and industry experts proposing the use of HBI as a partial charge in blast furnaces, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the productivity of the steelmaking process without the need to replace existing assets such as blast furnaces and steel mills.
Source: Datamar News