UK-based plantmaker Primetals Technologies has announced that Russia-based leading global iron ore and hot briquetted iron producer Metalloinvest has signed a contract with Primetals Technologies and its consortium partner US-based Midrex Technologies, Inc.for the supply of a new hot briquetted iron (HBI) plant to be established at Lebedinsky GOK.

The plant will be designed to produce 2.08 million mt of HBI per year. With the latest design features, the plant will be the largest HBI plant in the world and will be able to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact. The contract includes engineering, supplies and advisory services.

The investment in the construction of the plant is estimated at over $600 million. The project will create around 375 highly qualified jobs. The commissioning of the plant is scheduled for the first half of 2025.

In March this year, Russia-based Mikhailovsky HBI, which was jointly established by Mikhailovsky GOK, part of Metalloinvest, and Metalloinvest’s holding company USM, signed a contract with Primetals and Midrex for the supply of another HBI plant to be
established in Russia.

The two new facilities will double the joint production capacity of USM and Metalloinvest from 4.6 million mt to 9 million mt of HBI per year.