Emergency Contact IG Circular - Direct reduced iron (DRI) Home Latest updates News IG Circular - Direct reduced iron (DRI) 26 Mar 2025 View PDF Sign up for alerts Direct reduced iron (DRI) in various forms is described in the International Maritime Sold Bulk Cargo (IMSBC) Code, (hereinafter, the Code ). The latest addition, which becomes a mandatory part of the Code from January 2025, is the entry for the Type D, by-product fines with a moisture content of at least 2%. This entry runs over multiple pages and contains a large amount of important information and guidance. In this Circular, the main points of the Type D entry are summarised, and, where appropriate, additional guidance and observational notes have been added.  This Circular has been prepared for the International Group of P&I Clubs (IG) in conjunction with Dr J H Burgoyne & Partners LLP (Burgoynes’) with input from INTERCARGO. Explanatory notes provided by Burgoynes are included in bold text within the body of this Circular. It should be noted that this Circular is for guidance only and the relevant entries from the IMSBC Code, which are appended to this Circular, remain the primary source of carriage requirements which should be relied upon. Background Direct reduced iron (DRI) is formed by passing hot reducing gases, such as hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide, over iron ore, which is usually in the form of lumps or pellets. This produces a highly porous iron material which has a very large internal surface area available for re-oxidation.  The principal hazards associated with DRI are its ability to undergo self-heating through oxidation and its ability to generate hydrogen from reaction with water/moisture.  When stowed within the confines of a cargo hold, hydrogen produced by reaction with water can form an explosive atmosphere inside the hold, presenting a risk of explosion. The principal forms of DRI are Type A (hot-moulded briquettes) and Type B (pellets), but fines are