【Ferro-alloys.com】：Diversified miner Rio Tinto has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Germany’s Salzgitter Group to study the optimisation of Rio’s Australian and Canadian iron-ore products for use in a green steel project, in Germany.

Under the MoU, Rio Tinto and Salzgitter will explore optimisation of iron-ore pellets, lump and fines for use in hydrogen direct reduction steelmaking. The two companies will also explore the potential for greenhouse gas emission certification across the steel value chain.

The partnership will focus on the potential use of these products in Salzgitter's low carbon steelmaking programme, dubbed SALCOS, which is targeting virtually carbon-free steel production, starting step-by-step in 2025 using hydrogen direct reduction.

“We welcome the chance to work with Salzgitter on ways to accelerate green steelmaking, in keeping with our commitment to reduce emissions across the steel value chain,” Rio chief commercial officer Alf Barrios said.

“Salzgitter has one of the world’s most advanced green steelmaking projects. Rio Tinto is excited at the opportunity of supplying our product and combining our technical expertise with that of Salzgitter to help advance the SALCOS project.”

Salzgitter chairperson Ulrich Grethe said that with this alliance, the companies wanted to combine knowledge to make further progress with low-carbon steel production.

“In this context, the Salzgitter Group is relying on strong partners, as set out in our ‘Salzgitter AG 2030’ Group strategy, in line with its motto of ‘Partnering for Circular Solutions’.”

Rio is committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and is targeting a 15% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2025, from a 2018 baseline, and a 50% reduction by 2030.

• [Editor:Alakay]