Optimization of DRI Production Quality and Quantity with Restricted Natural Gas Supply in HYL III Dr Plant

by Arfin Murdisia, Sugiyanto, Wahyudi

Publisher - PT Krakatau Steel (Persero) Tbk.

Category - General Novel

PT Krakatau Steel’s HYL III Direct Reduction Plant comprises two reduction reactors. The plant was designed to produce a total of 1,350,000 metric tons of DRI per year. As an effort to increase HYL III Plant’s production capacity and to improve DRI quality, a “partial combustion” process was incorporated into HYL III reduction process. This is accomplished by injecting oxygen into reducing gas flow, and has yielded an increase of reducing gas temperature from 933C to 960C, which in turn has increased the production rate by about 10%. Since January 2001, PT Krakatau Steel has implemented partial combustion “stage 2” to further increasing its DRI production rate. By using a specially designed burner, more oxygen is injected into the reducing gas, further increasing its temperature to 980C. The production rate of HYL III after the implementation of the system is 2,500 metric tons of DRI per day per reactor, with degree of metallization greater than 93% and total carbon content greater than 2%. The main problem of DR Plant operation is the restricted natural gas supply. Since June 2010, HYL III DR Plant has implemented natural gas injection through cluster breaker. By this method, the production rate of HYL III has increased to greater than 2,600 metric tons of DRI per day per reactor, with degree of metallization greater than 94% and total carbon content greater than 2.7%.

Please login to borrow the book.