Hyundai Steel selects ENERGIRON technology for a new sustainable steelmaking plant in the United States

The new plant will combine ENERGIRON direct reduction, hydrogen readiness, and carbon capture to enable more sustainable steel production

Hyundai Steel, a leading global steel producer, has announced a $5.8 billion investment in a new sustainable steelmaking complex in the United States, reinforcing its long-term commitment to carbon neutrality. At the core of the project is a direct reduction plant based on ENERGIRON technology, jointly developed by Tenova and Danieli, which will be fully integrated with a steel mill on approximately 1,700 acres within the RiverPlex Mega Park near Donaldsonville, Louisiana.

The ENERGIRON direct reduction plant - set to be the second installation of its kind in the US - will have an annual production capacity of 2.5 million tonnes of hot and cold Direct Reduced Iron (DRI). The plant will feature Zero Reformer ENERGIRON technology, enabling the production of DRI with 94% metallization and 2.5% carbon content. Designed to support the steel industry’s decarbonization pathway, the facility will incorporate carbon capture solutions and will be hydrogen-ready, allowing the future use of hydrogen as a reducing gas and positioning ENERGIRON among the most sustainable steelmaking technologies currently available on the market.

Hot DRI will be conveyed to the adjacent steelmaking shop through the HYTEMP pneumatic transport system and charged into two Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs) at temperatures exceeding 600° C. This configuration optimizes thermal energy utilization and contributes to a significant reduction in steel production operating costs (OpEx).

This project further confirms Tenova’s role as a key technology partner in enabling efficient, low-emission steel production worldwide and advancing the transition toward sustainable metallurgy.