Sumitomo Metals Starts New Blast Furnace Building at Wakayama

Sumitomo Metal Industries held furnace building ceremony for new no.1 blast furnace at Wakayama works. The firm builds the furnace with 3,700 cubic meters of inner capacity and 7,500 tonnes of daily output capacity for 51 billion yen to start operation in July 2009. The firm stops the operation of no.4 blast furnace with 2,700 cubic meters inner capacity at Wakayama works, which has operated for more than 26 years, when the new no.1 furnace starts operation. The firm plans to operate the new no.1 furnace for more than 25 years. With the larger furnace, Wakayama works’ raw steel output capacity will reach 4.5 million tonnes per year. The works will start construction of new no.2 blast furnace with 3,700 cubic meters of capacity in February 2010 for additional expansion.