OREANDA-NEWS. Lebedinsky Iron ore mining and processing plant (LGOK) managed by Metalloinvest Management Company has got a certificate confirming its membership at the Hot Briquetted Iron Association (HBIA, Pitsburgh, USA) for the year of 2007.

According to the press service of “Metalloinvest”, LGOK was registered within the Association in 2004. The membership is to be proved out each year, which guarantees that each member of the Association produces high-quality HBI. According to the reports by the Association, LGOK wins the first place among world’s HBI manufacturers in terms of iron content in its production.

The Association unites more than 25 companies, including HBI producers, traders and technology suppliers. The nonprofit organization supports development of HBI market, promotes HBI and assists steelmakers in its effective use, makes qualitative and quantitative studies related to HBI production and sales.

Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) is a premium steelmaking raw material in ever-growing demand in the international metallurgical markets nowadays since more enterprises using HBI as its raw material are established each year.

At present, LGOK produces nearly 1 million of HBI annually. Currently, a second HBI production facility is under construction at the enterprise, which is to be finished this year. When set in operation, the second HBI section will make LGOK one of the largest HBI producers in the world with annual HBI output amounting to 2.5 million tones.