en.Wedoany.com Reported - Nanjing Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (NISCO, stock code: 600282.SH) and global mining company Rio Tinto Group successfully completed an industrial-scale trial in early June 2026 at NISCO's steel production base in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, producing basic pellets using Pilbara Blend Fines. The trial produced pellet products containing 50% Pilbara Blend Fines, which performed well in NISCO's blast furnace; pellets containing 100% Pilbara Blend Fines also met blast furnace production requirements. Additionally, an independently conducted HyL shaft furnace basket trial in Mexico demonstrated that basic pellets containing 50% Pilbara Blend Fines can be applied in direct reduction processes.

Founded on March 18, 1999, and headquartered in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, NISCO is a full-process steel integrated enterprise with an annual comprehensive production capacity of over 10 million tons of steel. It is a leading global medium-thick plate production base in terms of scale and efficiency, and a competitive domestic production base for special steel long products. Rio Tinto Group, founded in 1873 and headquartered in London, UK, is a leading global iron ore producer and exporter, with iron ore production reaching 290 million tons in fiscal year 2025.

Basic pellets refer to pelletized ore produced by adding basic fluxes (such as limestone or hydrated lime) to blast furnace ironmaking raw materials. Compared to ordinary acid pellets, basic pellets feature "high grade, low slag volume, and strong reducibility," offering better adaptability in blast furnaces, helping to improve ironmaking efficiency and reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Industry research shows that increasing the pellet ratio is a core pathway to reducing the carbon footprint of ironmaking, with basic pellet technology capable of reducing CO₂ emissions by an average of approximately 26.45 kg per ton of iron. This trial demonstrated that Pilbara Blend Fines can be used to produce high-quality basic pellets under high blending ratios, achieving a technological breakthrough for Rio Tinto's Pilbara iron ore in this field.

This industrial trial was advanced under the framework of the "Memorandum of Understanding on Ironmaking Decarbonization Technology Cooperation" signed by NISCO and Rio Tinto in October 2024. Under the MoU, both parties jointly explore low-carbon transition pathways, seeking opportunities to reduce carbon emissions in the blast furnace ironmaking process through research on optimizing blast furnace burden structure and improving energy efficiency. The success of this trial validated the application potential of Pilbara iron ore in basic pellet production, laying the foundation for further cooperation between the two parties in the field of low-carbon metallurgy.

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