PLANTS & SERVICES
Carbon Capture and Use (CCU)
Carbon capture and use can be used with MIDREX™ Plants in certain cases. It is not required for normal plant operation.
Internal CO₂ recycling in MIDREX Flex
In MIDREX™ Flex plants, carbon dioxide remains within the process loop. The top gas from the shaft furnace is routed back to the reformer where CO₂ is converted back into carbon monoxide during normal reformer operation.
This internal circulation of CO / CO₂ is a unique feature of the MIDREX™ Process and its proprietary reformer. CO₂ removal is not required for normal operation in a MIDREX Flex plant; it is an optional feature for locations where CCUS is economically viable.
In those circumstances there are two options for external CO₂ capture.
Option 1: Top gas / reformer fuel
The simpler option is to capture CO₂ from the Top Gas Fuel line - between the top gas scrubber and the reformer combustion system. This stream is already cooled and has a high CO₂ concentration, allowing for more economical capture of nearly 50 percent of the plant's CO₂ emissions.
Option 2: Flue gas after heat recovery
The second option is to capture CO₂ from the reformer flue gas, where nearly 100 percent of the CO₂ emissions are concentrated. With this option, almost 100 percent of the CO₂ is captured, resulting in near zero emissions for the plant. This option requires a larger carbon capture unit.
Coal-based configurations
In coal-based direct reduction plants (MXCoL™), reducing gas is produced through gasification or a by-product of other iron and steelmaking operations. The resulting synthesis gas differs in composition from the natural gas-based plants, usually with a higher CO / CO₂ content.
This process requires CO₂ removal, which has been implemented in all coal-based plants.
Project-specific considerations
Whether external CO₂ capture is applied depends on the project. Factors include economic conditions, the availability of CO₂ utilization or storage routes, and site-specific integration requirements.