- JFE Steel Corporation
JFE Steel to Blow in No.3 Blast Furnace at West Japan Works (Kurashiki)
TOKYO – JFE Steel Corporation’s No.3 blast furnace at the company’s West Japan Works (Kurashiki), which is currently undergoing a revamping that started in October, will be blown in for a fourth campaign (operating cycle) beginning in mid-February 2010.
Industries including automotives are expected to continue ordering high-end steel, a JFE Steel specialty, at relatively high levels. By promptly restarting its blast furnace following the revamp, JFE Steel expects to capitalize on the growing demand from domestic and international customers, especially in Asia, who require stable supplies of high-end steel.
Going forward, the company intends to further optimize its blast furnace operational structure on a comprehensive, company-wide basis, including production efficiency, costs and other key factors.
Project outline:
| 1. Cost: | Approx. 30 billion yen |
| 2. Schedule: | October 2009 – mid-February 2010 |
| 3. Result: | Increase inner volume from 4,359 m3 to 5,055m3 |
List of West Japan Works blast furnaces (BF):
| Inner volume (m3) | Blow-in date | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kurashiki District | |||
| No.2 BF (in operation): | 4,100 | November 2003 (fourth campaign) | |
| No.3 BF (to be revamped): | 4,359 | June 1990 (third campaign) | |
| No.4 BF (in operation): | 5,005 | January 2002 (third campaign) | |
| Fukuyama District | |||
| No.2 BF (in operation): | 2,828 | September 1998 (fourth campaign) | |
| No.3 BF (idle): | 3,223 | August 1994 (third campaign) | |
| No.4 BF (in operation): | 5,000 | May 2006 (fourth campaign) | |
| No.5 BF (in operation): | 5,500 | March 2005 (third campaign) |
For further information, please contact:
Public Relations Sec., General Administration Dept.
JFE Steel Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3597-3166
