On October 20, 2025, the "Green High-Purity Precision Casting Project Utilizing Solar PV and Wind Power for Hydrogen Production and Hydrogen-Based Shaft Furnace Processing of DRI (1.2 million mt/year)" by Xinjiang Hengtai Green Energy Metal Casting Co., Ltd. completed its second information disclosure. The project integrates the entire chain of green electricity-based hydrogen production and hydrogen metallurgy, is of a large scale, and will be constructed in two phases.
I. Core Project Overview
- Basic Information: The constructing entity is Xinjiang Hengtai Green Energy Metal Casting Co., Ltd., with a total investment of 4,947,024,400 yuan. The disclosure was conducted through the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Ecological Environment Protection Industry Association, focusing on the entire "green electricity-to-hydrogen - hydrogen metallurgy - precision casting" chain.
- Capacity Targets: Upon completion, the project will have an annual output of 1.2 million mt of DRI (direct reduced iron) and 110 mt of green high-purity precision castings.
II. Construction Content and Phased Plan
- Phase I Construction (April 2026 - July 2027)
- Hydrogen Production Unit: One set of a 90,000 Nm³/h water electrolysis hydrogen production unit, comprising 30 sets of 3,000 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzers, along with supporting gas-liquid processors, hydrogen/oxygen purification units, rectifier transformers, and other equipment (e.g., 16 gas-liquid processors, 16 hydrogen purification units, 30 rectifier cabinets).
- Other Core Units: A 1.2 million t/a hydrogen-heated chain grate-rotary kiln oxidized pellet production unit, a 600,000 t/a hydrogen-based shaft furnace DRI production unit, a 550,000 t/a green high-purity precision casting production unit, and public/auxiliary facilities.
- Hydrogen Storage Equipment: 20 units of 2,000m³, 1.6MPa hydrogen spherical tanks.
- Phase II Construction (April 2028 - April 2029): A 600,000 t/a hydrogen-based shaft furnace DRI production unit, a 550,000 t/a green high-purity precision casting production unit, and a 330,000 t/a vanadium-titanium slag production unit.
III. Key Preliminary Project Progress
- February 26, 2025: The project constructor signed an overall design contract with Zhongye Jingcheng Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Minmetals Group.
- March 28, 2025: The Hengtai Green Energy annual 1.2 million mt green energy hydrogen-based DRI project officially commenced construction.
- Industry Background: A similar "hydrogen replacing carbon" blast furnace hydrogen-enriched smelting project by Xingguo Foundry had been in continuous operation for one year prior, verifying the industrial feasibility of the process and providing practical reference for this project.
