JFE Steel to Start New Coke Battery in West Japan Works

JFE Steel will complete construction of a new coke plant inside West Japan works’ Kurashiki area and start the operation in December 2010. The operation start was previously postponed to February 2011 from initially planned June 2010. However, JFE Steel decided to bring forward the new oven’s starting date in order to accelerate productivity efficiency improvement. JFE Steel becomes to secure enough coke to achieve crude steel production at 33 million tonnes per annum before expansion of No.3 blast furnace in West Japan works’ Fukuyama area.

The firm has constructed No.6 coke plant’s B battery since August 2008 with 20 billion yen investment. The new facility is based on SCOPE21 technology, which is next generation coke production method to reduce NOx gas emission. The new battery realizes additional coke output capacity for blast furnaces at approximately 350,000 tonnes per year.

No.3 blast furnace in Fukuyama area is now suspended, whose inner capacity is scheduled to be expanded to 4,300 cubic meters by May 2011 from present 3,223 cubic meters. The commissioning term hasn’t been decided while steel making capacity has been already increased such for no.7 continuous casting line in Fukuyama area. West Japan works becomes able to produce crude steel at 23 million tonnes per year. Thus JFE Steel’s output capacity is expected to reach 33 million tonnes per year.