MIDREX® Plants with 3rd Quarter Anniversaries

This issue of Direct From Midrex recognizes the start-up of Arcelor Mittal Acindar in Villa Constitución, Argentina (45 years), and Qatar Steel 1 in Mesaieed, Qatar (45 years).

ArcelorMittal Acindar

Started 45 years ago in the 3rd Quarter
Location: Villa Constitución, Sanata Fe, Argentina
DR plant: MIDREX®

• Start-up: August 1978
• Flowsheet: MIDREX Flex^TM
• Product: CDRI
• Original Capacity: 0.42 million tons/year
• Current Capacity: 0.6 million tons/year

Founded in 1942 as Acindar Industria Argentina de Aceros S.A., it is one of Argentina’s oldest steel companies. Acindar merged with Arcelor subsidiary Belgo Mineira in 2001 and became part of the ArcelorMittal Group in 2006. Since 2008, ArcelorMittal has controlled 99.5% of the company.

Acindar produces bars and balls for the grinding of minerals; steel mesh for the mining industry; wires, turnbuckles, and special posts for the wine industry; poles, rods, wires, and accessories for agricultural fencing; and a variety of products for the construction, oil, and metallurgical industries. Acindar also offers technical advisory services, along with cutting, bending and pre-assembling of steel parts according to the client’s technical specifications.

The Acindar complex includes a DRI plant based on MIDREX Technology (installed in 1978) and two Tenova electric arc furnaces (installed in 2007).

Qatar Steel 1

Started 45 years ago in the 3rd Quarter
Location: Mesaieed, Qatar
DRI process: MIDREX® (2 modules)

• Start-up: August 1978 (module 1), July 2007 (module 2)
• Flowsheet: MIDREX Flex^TM (module 1), MIDREX Flex with hot discharge/product cooler (module 2)
• Product: CDRI (module 1), CDRI/HBI (module 2)
• Capacities: 0.4 million tons/year (mod 1), 1.5 million tons/year (mod 2)

Qatar Steel was established in 1974 as the first integrated steel plant in the MENA Region. Commercial production commenced in 1978, with the start-up of Qatar Steel 1, a DRI plant based on MIDREX Technology. The Company has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Qatar Industries since 2003.

Plant facilities include two MIDREX Modules, Qatar Steel 1, which produces cold DRI (CDRI), and Qatar Steel 2, which produces CDRI or hot briquetted iron (HBI) depending on the market requirement; electric arc furnaces with a ladle refining furnace; a continuous casting plant; and rolling mills with the latest automated features. Production operations are based in Messaieed Industrial City, 45 kilometers south of Qatar’s capital, Doha, where Qatar Steel’s corporate headquarters are based. The Company also operates a UAE based subsidiary, Qatar Steel Company FZE.