Technology

World’s first lignite-based iron making technology

  • Utilising hydrogen extracted from lignite to decrease costs & emissions
  • HydroMOR is the only lignite-based iron making process
  • Economic at a smaller scale than conventional processes
  • Operates at lower temperatures = Lower emissions
  • Able to recover iron from waste streams such as iron ore fines, millscale and nickel tailings

Since the advent of coke based iron production in 1709, primary iron making has relied on high-quality black coal as its reductant and heat source, requiring high-grade coal and iron ore.

Our HydroMOR process is positioned to help bridge a crucial environmental gap in iron making thanks to the design of our simple, low cost, low emission, HydroMOR retort using cheaper, alternative raw materials.

HydroMOR, which stands for ‘hydrogen-based metal oxide reduction’, comprises three exclusive facets:

  1. Inputs – It uses brown coal (lignite) as a reductant and heat source – no other technology can claim this
  2. Hydrogen – HydroMOR is dominated by a hydrogen reduction reaction, instead of the traditional carbon-based reduction reaction
  3. Plant Design – It employs our unique HydroMOR retort – a vertical furnace that works with the natural chemistry of brown coal

HydroMOR supersedes our previous Matmor process, which also used lignite but operated at a higher temperature range and relied upon a carbon-based reduction reaction.

Want to do a deep dive on HydroMOR?

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