Italian steel producer Acciaierie d’Italia (ADI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DRI d’Italia SpA, marking a formal agreement to collaborate on the construction of a 2.5 mln ton per year direct reduction plant at its Taranto facility.
DRI d’Italia SpA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Agency for Investment Attraction and Enterprise Development (INVITALIA), was established in January 2022 to evaluate, build, and operate direct reduced iron (DRI) production plants. This initiative supports the Italian steel industry’s transition toward sustainable practices by aiming to reduce carbon emissions, notably through the use of hydrogen in pre-hydrogen production and carbon capture storage technologies.
The new plant will be developed by DRI d’Italia in alignment with Taranto’s decarbonization plan. Based on studies and engineering evaluations from DRI d’Italia and third-party experts, ADI will also consider potential infrastructure enhancements, such as improvements to mining parks. The specifics of these upgrades, including costs and implementation methods, will be detailed in future contractual agreements, ADI stated.
