Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel LLC has selected Danieli as technology partner for a new integrated steel plant in Louisiana, USA, aimed at producing high-quality hot-rolled slabs for low-carbon, value-added automotive grades.
The contract includes two electric arc furnaces with secondary metallurgy, two thick slab casters and two slab reheating furnaces. The direct reduction plant will be supplied by the ENERGIRON consortium of Tenova and Danieli.
The ENERGIRON direct reduction unit will have a nominal capacity of 2.5 mln tons per year of hot and cold DRI and will incorporate zero reformer technology, enabling high metallization and controlled carbon content. The plant is designed to be hydrogen-ready and equipped with carbon capture systems, supporting low-emission steelmaking.
The meltshop will operate at a capacity of 2.88 mln tons per year and will include two electric arc furnaces with continuous scrap charging systems, allowing flexible feedstock use from 100pct scrap to DRI blends. Secondary metallurgy will comprise twin ladle furnaces and an RH-OB system, supported by material handling and fume treatment systems.
Two slab casters equipped with advanced casting technologies will produce thick slabs for high-quality and low-emission steel grades, particularly for automotive applications. The production line will be completed by two walking-beam reheating furnaces, each with a capacity of 280 tph, designed for high efficiency and compatibility with natural gas-hydrogen fuel mixes.
The project marks a further step in cooperation between Hyundai and Danieli, with Hyundai Motor Group and POSCO jointly developing the facility, which is expected to be among the first EAF-based integrated steel plants in the US focused on automotive steel production.