Jindal Steel Duqm, a subsidiary of Jindal Steel Group, has signed a contract with Danieli to build a second hydrogen-ready direct reduction plant for the production of hot-briquetted iron (HBI) in Duqm, Oman.
This project comes as part of the company’s expansion into low-carbon steel production, following the launch of its first Energiron DRI plant in the same region, scheduled to start operations in 2026.
The new Zero-Reformer Energiron unit, developed by Tenova and Danieli, will have an annual capacity of 2.5 million tons of direct reduced iron with a metallization rate of 94%. The hot DRI will be processed into HBI for storage or export, with the option of using the Hytemp pneumatic transport system to feed hot DRI directly into electric arc furnaces at over 600°C, enhancing energy efficiency.
The hybrid technology allows operation on natural gas, hydrogen, or a mix of the two with up to 80% hydrogen, without requiring plant modifications. An integrated carbon capture system will enable the reuse of emissions, supporting Jindal Steel Duqm’s plan to establish a fully integrated green steel complex leveraging Oman’s natural gas and renewable energy resources.