News Release
JFE Steel Corporation
JFE Steel Resumes Operating West Japan Works (Kurashiki) No. 4 Blast Furnace
JFE Steel Corporation announced today that it completed the revamping of the No. 4 blast furnace at the company’s West Japan Works (Kurashiki) and blew-in the facility for its fourth campaign (operating cycle) on December 13. The revamping process began in April 2020 and was carried out at cost of about 50 billion yen.
During the No. 4 blast furnace’s revamping, inner volume was expanded from 5,005m3 to 5,100m3, which will ensure optimum post-steelmaking production capacity in conjunction with the new No. 7 continuous casting machine that started up in June 2021. To reduce operating costs, new features were also added for more precise positioning when charging raw materials into the furnace. Also, raw material transfer capacity was upgraded, new equipment was installed in the cast house for enhanced operability, and the cooling systems were improved to extend the service life of the blast furnace body.
West Japan Works Blast Furnaces
| Inner vol. (m3) | Last blow-in | |
| Kurashiki District | ||
| No. 2 BF (operating) | 4,100 | November 2003 (fourth campaign) |
| No. 3 BF (operating) | 5,055 | February 2010 (fourth campaign) |
| No. 4 BF (revamped) | 5,005 | January 2002 (third campaign) |
| Fukuyama District | ||
| No. 3 BF (operating) | 4,300 | May 2011 (fourth campaign) |
| No. 4 BF (operating) | 5,000 | May 2006 (fourth campaign) |
| No. 5 BF (operating) | 5,500 | March 2005 (third campaign) |
Going forward, JFE Steel will continue to monitor trends in steel demand to ensure that its production operations remain capable of swiftly and flexibly meeting evolving demands.
About JFE Steel Corporation
JFE Steel Corporation, one of the world’s leading integrated steel producers, was established through the consolidation of NKK Corporation and Kawasaki Steel Corporation in 2003. The company operates several steelworks in Japan and numerous branch offices and affiliates throughout the world. JFE Steel leverages world-class technologies and know-how to produce a wide range of products based on its “Only One, Number One” strategy of focusing on unique and best-in-class products. The company reported consolidated sales of 2,255 billion yen and consolidated crude steel output of 23.96 million tons in the fiscal year ended March 2021.
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