Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb.17/ Trend F.Milad
Some 25.451 million tons of iron ore was produced in the first ten months of current Iranian Calendar year, which began on March 20.
The amount shows a 9.6 percent increase compared to the same period of the previous year, the Mehr news Agency reported.
Iranian Mines & Mining Industries Development & Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) announced last month that four steel projects will come on stream in the first half of the next Iranian calendar year, to start on March 20, 2013.
Once the projects come on stream some 4 million tons would be added to the country's sponge iron output capacity, the IRNA News Agency reported.
The projects will be completed at the cost of 458 million euros and 10.16 trillion rials (some $828.7 based on the official rate of dollar).
The chairman of IMIDRO, Fereydoon Ahmadi, said in November, 2012 that by implementing sponge iron manufacturing unit of the Mobarakeh Steel Company, the country's sponge iron production capacity increased by 1.5 million tons.
"Once the sponge iron manufacturing unit of Saba steel factory comes on stream, some another one million tons would be added to the nation's annual sponge iron output capacity," he said.
Direct-reduced iron (DRI), also called sponge iron, is produced from direct reduction of iron ore (in the form of lumps, pellets or fines) by a reducing gas produced from natural gas or coal. The reducing gas is a mixture majority of hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) which acts as reducing agent. This process of directly reducing the iron ore in solid form by reducing gases is called direct reduction.
In September 2012, IRIB quoted Fereydoun Ahmadi as saying that implementing indigenized technology projects has saved some $750 million during the past five years.
Ahmadi added that the projects were related to steel, copper, and aluminum industries.
During the past two years, 228 projects have been implemented in the steel industry, he said, adding that 5,512 jobs have also been created.