Qatar Steel Company (Qasco) has agreed to supply Saudi Arabia’s Solb Steel with 600,000 tonnes a year (t/y) of direct reduced iron (DRI) for its steel plant at Jizan Economic City in the southwest of the kingdom.

Solb Steel was previously named South Steel and started operations in 2012. The plant produces 1 million t/y of steel billets and 500,000 t/y of steel rebar. Another 500,000 t/y of rebar will be added in 2014. Qasco has a 31.04 per cent stake in the company.

Future plans for Solb include a 6 million t/y pelletising plant, as well as a new meltshop and DRI plant.