The undersigned is an Argentine engineer who developed most of his extensive professional activity in the field of mineral processing (copper, iron, aluminum) both abroad (United States, Chile) and in Argentina (Sierra Grande).
In relation to the Sierra Grande mining-industrial complex, I participated in positions of responsibility in all its stages, from the design and location of the plants to the selection of processes, negotiations with contractors (Swedes, Canadian, Americans) and in the construction of them.
Even after separating from Hipasam, I have followed with interest and some anguish the process of deterioration in production and delivery to the Chinese concessionaire, which has breached almost all of its obligations under the 2005 contract.
I am the owner of a direct reduction process of metal oxides, with patents in Argentina and the United States that in 2000 I mentioned in an article published in Panorama Minero as an alternative to the weakest part of the process (which is the pelletization of the concentrate) by means of the direct reduction of that unagglomerated concentrate to produce metal briquettes with high iron content.
With an ore extraction of the order of 1.3 million tons per year (which was the maximum value extracted in the life of the mine), about 400 thousand tons per year of briquettes with more than 95% iron could be generated, suitable to replace to scrap in the feed to electric steel mills.
If a green hydrogen generating plant is installed in Sierra Grande, the direct reduction process would be an ideal client, replacing the reducing gas obtained by reforming natural gas with hydrogen.
The technical details of the process are available. I am not looking for personal gain and my only objective is the reactivation of the Sierra Grande complex and the development of the area.
Engineer Héctor Pastorino
DAYS 4081837
[email protected]
Capital Federal