The tower of Voestalpine’s HBI plant in Gregory near Corpus Christi was completed in April. Production of iron briquettes is now underway after a grand opening ceremony Oct. 26, 2016. Courtesy photo
Voestalpine Group’s Stahwelt facility in Austria recently opened an exhibit of what it calls “one of the most fascinating industrial projects in the world: the new HBI production plant in Corpus Christi, Texas.” The plant, which officially opened Oct. 26, manufactures iron-ore pellets into hot-briquetted iron (HBI), which is then used in building planes, trains and high-speed race cars.
The exhibit features a 360-degree view from the 137-meter-high reduction tower that forms the heart of the Texas plant. The view is seen by visitors through virtual reality glasses.
Opened on Nov. 3, this special exhibition examines the facts and background behind the largest foreign investment in the group’s history. The estimated total cost is about $800 million.
Employing 190 permanent workers, the plant is expected to produce 2 million metric-tons of purified iron briquettes a year. Long-term economic gains are estimated to be $600 million over the next 10 years in direct benefit to the local community.
High-grade free pellets will be brought into the plant, where they will be turned into purified iron briquettes that are then shipped to steel mills in Linz and Donawitz, Austria. The company will use seawater from Corpus Christi Bay as a coolant and natural gas from Eagle Ford Shale in the iron-reduction tower.
