The study is being conducted in line with the goal of the Iron and Steel Roadmap for the Philippines to be able to locally produce iron and possibly reductants using available indigenous mineral resources, and eventually integrate them with existing steel making infrastructures. “A genuine local iron and steel industry is a strategic for the country’s socio-economic development. “In fact, President Rodrigo Duterte gave specific directives to look into the viability of local magnetite ores, particularly black sand, as intermediate iron products for use in the production of iron and steel,” Rodolfo said. The study also aims to provide technological solutions to obtain maximum benefit from value adding of iron resources in the country. Specifically, it will commission bench scale testing of local magnetite ores through iron making technologies such as Midrex, RH Process and the New Zealand Process.

Source: Manila Times November 22, 2016 16:24 UTC