[Ferro-Alloys.com]US mining & steel maker Cleveland-Cliffs Inc recently celebrated the initial six months of continued operation and production of hot-briquetted iron at the Direct Reduction plant in Toledo in Ohio. Cliffs’ Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Mr Lourenco Goncalves said “We are celebrating a new era for the iron and steel industry in the United States.

This event formally marks the culmination of our USD 1 billion investment to build and operate the world’s most modern and environmentally friendly Direct Reduction plant, and the first plant of its kind constructed for the present and for the future. Natural gas based iron reduction is the future of our industry. The production and use of HBI within our operations has catalyzed what has been a phenomenal year for us and, very importantly, has supercharged our greenhouse emissions reduction program. It has also boosted our profitability through enhanced productivity in our blast furnaces and the avoidance of prime scrap purchases from third parties for use in our EAFs and BOFs.”

• [Editor:李慧]