Hyundai Steel will build a pilot direct reduced iron (DRI) facility at its Dangjin Steelworks to test hydrogen- and gas-based direct reduction processes, accelerating preparations for its planned steel mill in the United States.
The pilot plant, designed to produce 30 kg of molten iron per hour, will be used to trial DRI technologies that will later be applied to the US project. Hyundai Steel plans to operate the facility next year and use the results to advance construction and operational readiness for its Louisiana steel mill.
The Louisiana plant, which breaks ground this year, is scheduled to start operations in 2029 with an annual capacity of 2.7 mln tons of hot- and cold-rolled steel, focused on next-generation automotive applications. The mill is expected to support Hyundai’s US manufacturing footprint, including Metaplant America in Georgia, the Montgomery plant in Alabama, and Kia’s Autoland Georgia, by supplying high-quality automotive-grade steel.
