Engineering contract inked for Duqm green iron project

MUSCAT: Singapore-headquartered Meranti Green Steel (MGS) has awarded a contract to SMS Group and Midrex Technologies, Inc for the front-end engineering phase of its planned 2.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) direct reduction iron (DRI) plant in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD), marking another milestone towards the project's anticipated Final Investment Decision (FID).
The engineering contract will establish the technical foundation for the next stage of engineering and equipment supply for the facility, which forms the centrepiece of Meranti's low-carbon ironmaking venture in Oman.
Germany-based SMS Group is one of the world's leading suppliers of plant and equipment for the metals industry, while US-based Midrex Technologies is the global leader in DRI technology, with its MIDREX process accounting for the majority of worldwide DRI production.
According to Meranti, the Duqm plant will deploy Midrex Flex technology, a direct reduction platform capable of operating on a blend of natural gas and green hydrogen, with the flexibility to increase the proportion of green hydrogen as supplies become available.
'This supports MGS' transition pathway: competitive, low-carbon ironmaking from the start, with a route to reduce emissions further over time', the company said.
The latest contract follows the appointment last month of the Minerals & Metals business of Indian engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to execute the front-end engineering and design (FEED) package for the green iron project.