【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】1423–2024: China’s First Pilot Project for the Smelting of Vanadium-Titanium Magnetite Using Hydrogen-Based Vertical Furnaces

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This post was last edited by Desert Fish on 2024-1-25 at 17:23. Happy New Year 2024 **********************【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Processing Equipment】A continuously updated summary thread – feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum) ***************** On January 16, 2023, a ceremony was held to sign the contract for and launch the pilot project for the use of hydrogen-based shaft furnaces in the processing of vanadium-titanium magnetite by Chuanwei Group and MCC SEDI Group. Upon completion, the project will further facilitate Chuanwei Group’s transition toward low-carbon metallurgy and clean production, enable the comprehensive utilization of vanadium-titanium ore resources, and minimize energy consumption in metallurgical processes. It is reported that the pilot demonstration project for the smelting of vanadium-titanium magnetite using a hydrogen-based shaft furnace is expected to require a total investment of around 150 million yuan. The project is planned to produce 10,000 tons of directly reduced iron per year, using natural gas and coke oven gas as feed gases, with vanadium-titanium pellet ore and ordinary oxidized pellet ore as the raw materials. It is expected that the cost of iron smelting per ton can be reduced by over 200 yuan, and carbon emissions during the production process can be cut by more than 60%; in the long term, near‑zero carbon emissions can be achieved. Upon completion, it will become China’s first pilot-scale demonstration line for hydrogen-based shaft furnaces with fully independent intellectual property rights, offering advantages in technological originality, strategic leadership, and high investment efficiency. Hydrogen-based smelting is the essential path for the sustainable and high-quality development of the steel industry. The completion of this project holds significant pioneering, symbolic, and exemplary importance in promoting the green development of Chuanwei’s steel industry, expanding the use of clean and low-carbon hydrogen energy, and optimizing the product structure. It will help Chuanwei Group reduce costs and increase efficiency, thereby establishing a high-end, green steel smelting facility. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Wang Jin, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Chuanwei Group, said that the signing and commencement of this project will hold revolutionary significance in the history of Chuanwei’s and future vanadium-titanium magnetite smelting operations. First, it can significantly reduce the smelting costs of blast furnaces. Second, make full use of coal gas and natural gas to achieve carbon reduction. Third, achieve comprehensive utilization of resources by increasing the percentage of vanadium recovered while separating titanium from vanadium-titanium magnetite. In the future, corporate competition will rely on low-cost strategies, product transformation and development, as well as low-carbon development. The success of this project will hold significant milestone value for Chuanwei’s future product structure adjustment, cost reduction, and enhancement of its overall competitiveness. It is believed that with the strong assistance and support of the Party committee, **, and MCC Sedici, the project will surely achieve the desired results. Wish everyone better results in the new year, and may our cooperation be a complete success. Xiao Peng, General Manager of MCC SEDI, delivered a speech in which he said that MCC SEDI has been working intensively in the field of hydrogen metallurgy for nearly 20 years. The hydrogen-based shaft furnace direct reduction process used in its projects features entirely independent intellectual property rights, and it is expected to surpass international standards in terms of energy consumption and production efficiency. Compared to traditional blast furnace processes, it enables a carbon reduction of over 60%. Together with electric arc furnaces for melting, it is expected to raise the overall utilization rate of titanium from 35% to over 60%, while increasing the overall utilization rate of vanadium by 1.5%. It represents the best process approach at present for achieving green and low-carbon operations, efficient comprehensive utilization of resources, and economic viability in the processing of vanadium-titanium ores. Xiao Peng said that achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality is an important strategic decision for China. The completion of this project will enable full utilization of Sichuan Province’s abundant resources of vanadium-titanium magnetite, natural gas, and shale gas in the future, enhance the strategic security of China’s mineral resources, and inject new momentum into the improvement and transformation of the local economy Luo Wandong, head of the United Front Work Department of the Neijiang Municipal Party Committee in Sichuan Province, and Bi Sheng, deputy mayor of Neijiang, stated that the official signing and commencement of this project represent a significant step taken by Neijiang to promote the conversion of enterprise technological achievements. It is also a practical effort to advance green and low-carbon development in the region. Furthermore, it serves as strong support for the development of the two industries worth hundreds of billions of yuan each: shale gas-related industries and vanadium-titanium-related industries. Here, we solemnly commit to providing high-quality, efficient, and thorough service support as well as a favorable development environment for the project’s construction, 24/7, throughout the entire process, and in all aspects. We will provide full support for the transformation and upgrading of Chuanwei Group, and accelerate the development of a number of advanced manufacturing projects, including those related to vanadium electrolytes, titanium extraction from blast furnace slag, and the production of methanol through carbon dioxide hydrogenation. It is hoped that MCC-SIDE and Chuanwei Group will earnestly fulfill their contractual obligations, enhance communication, accelerate project construction, and ensure that the project is completed and put into operation as scheduled by June 2024. It is sincerely hoped that MCC SEDI, Guangxi Liugong, together with Neijiang and Weiyuan, will carry out cooperation on a multi-level basis and in various fields, aiming to achieve a higher level of common development and mutual benefit, thereby making greater contributions to the economic development of Neijiang. In the presence of representatives from various sectors of society, Gou Zhong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of MCC SEDI, and Dai Bin, Assistant to the Chairman of Chuanwei Group, signed the agreement solemnly at the signing table on behalf of MCC SEDI and Chuanwei Group respectively. The successful signing and commencement of this project mark a new era in the partnership between Chuanwei Group and MCC SEDI Group. The construction of this project will undoubtedly leave a significant mark in the history of metallurgy both in China and around the world.