• Primetals Technologies to design and supply the world’s most advanced pellet pot testing facility
• Allows for fast and reliable pot grate test results 
• Future implementation of direct reduction and electric steelmaking plants at Tata Steel Nederland’s site in IJmuiden emphasizes need for well-structured and carefully developed pellet-feed mixtures 

Tata Steel Nederland has chosen Primetals Technologies’ pellet pot testing facility solution for its pilot plant located in IJmuiden, the Netherlands. Primetals Technologies will design, supply, and implement the equipment for Tata Steel Nederland’s research and development department (Tata Steel R&D Technologies) along with a comprehensive electrical and automation solution. Startup of the new facility is scheduled for mid-2025.

Primetals Technologies has been operating an innovative pellet pot in Leoben, Austria, since 2014. With Tata Steel Nederland’s pellet pot testing facility, Primetals Technologies will take this concept to the next level in terms of capacity, level of autonomous operation, and special features – the latter are designed to replicate the configuration of Tata Steel Nederland’s industrial pelletizing plant.

"This is one of Tata Steel R&D’s largest investments in years," said Vincent Ritman, director of Tata Steel R&D. "In working with Primetals Technologies, we are bringing in a reliable and knowledgeable partner who will help us to make the connection between the pellet plant and the future direct reduction plant possible. The installation can produce high-quality and uniform pellets on a large scale, 65 kilograms, for the current pellet research program.”

The Next Level of Pellet Testing

Thanks to Primetals Technologies’ own testing facility in Austria, the pellet pot concept is a tried-and-tested system. It enables fast and comprehensive testing of various concentrates and pellet-feed mixtures as well as detailed analysis and determination of optimal temperature profiles tailored to Tata Steel Nederland’s pellet quality targets. 

Primetals Technologies will design Tata Steel Nederland’s pellet pot to handle up to six pot grate tests per day and 500 tests annually. The pellet testing facility also features a system for off-gas analysis, which will generate valuable insights on emission levels.

Carbon Neutrality by 2045

Tata Steel Nederland has the ambition to reduce CO2 emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and to become carbon neutral by 2045. At its IJmuiden site, this is a process encompassing the whole ironmaking and steelmaking value chain. In terms of equipment, the transition will result in a switchover to gas and hydrogen based direct-reduced iron technology along with an electric arc furnace based steelmaking plant. 

The implementation of the new ironmaking and steelmaking plants means that Tata Steel Nederland will operate partly with new types of raw materials, while dealing with higher requirements on pellet qualities. As a result, the new state-of-the-art pellet testing facility will play a key role both in ensuring optimal raw material mixes for the pelletizing plant and in optimizing the parameters for the induration process. 

Premium Steel Products

Tata Steel Nederland is one of Europe’s largest steel producers and supplies high-grade steel products to demanding sectors all over the world, including the construction, automotive, and packaging industries, as well as producers of industrial machines. The research and development department, Tata Steel R&D Technologies, is an important part of the company. In close cooperation with customers, the department designs new steel products that will help them stand out from their competition.  

Tata Steel Nederland comprises two business units, Tata Steel IJmuiden and Tata Steel Downstream Europe, and is part of Indian global steel company Tata Steel.

Tata Steel Nederland has tasked Primetals Technologies with the implementation of an advanced pellet pot grate testing facility. From left to right: Piotr Ksen, Project Manager, Hans-Jörg Baumgartner, Process Engineer, both with Primetals Technologies; Jan Baalbergen, Project Manager at Tata Steel IJmuiden; Christoph Aichinger, Head of Agglomeration, and Thomas Marton, Commercial VP Ironmaking, both with Primetals Technologies.