Suez Steel has established a new reference in energy efficiency at its ENERGIRON® Zero‑Reformer (ZR)‑based Direct Reduction Plant, achieving stable high metallization and direct hot charging to the meltshop in the first large‑scale industrial application of this technology.
Through continuous operational optimization and accumulated operational expertise, the plant has consistently maintained natural gas consumption below 2.2 Gcal per ton (8.73 MBTU/ton) over extended production campaigns. This performance positions the facility among the most energy‑efficient gas‑based direct reduction operations globally.
The achievement has been further enabled by the commissioning of Suez Steel’s captive pellet plant, ensuring a steady supply of high‑quality pellets tailored for optimal reducibility, thereby enhancing DRP stability, efficiency, and reliability.
These results underscore the strength of the ENERGIRON ZR process developed by Tenova and Danieli, while reflecting Suez Steel’s strong operational discipline, technological capability, and commitment to continuous improvement. The outcome reinforces the role of operational excellence and close technology‑partner collaboration in advancing low‑carbon, high‑efficiency steelmaking.
Commenting on this achievement,
Mr. Rafic Daou, Vice Chairman and CEO of Suez Steel, stated:
“These results represent the tangible outcome of our continuous efforts and growing expertise in pelletizing and ironmaking, confirming the potential of both Suez Steel and Egypt to achieve excellence in the steel industry.”
Mr. Zulfikar, Technical Manager of Suez Steel, added:
“This milestone is the result of a highly committed team, steadily focused on maximizing performance through continuous improvement and technology development, in close partnership with our ENERGIRON technology providers.”
Mr. Marco Lapasin, Vice President of Danieli Centro Metallics, commented:
“These outstanding results demonstrate the full potential of the ENERGIRON process when supported by strong operational focus and management commitment. We are proud to collaborate with Suez Steel and contribute to its continued success.”
This achievement establishes a reference point for energy efficiency in gas‑based direct reduction and represents a significant step toward more sustainable steelmaking through reduced carbon emissions and improved environmental performance.