JFE Steel to Add New Coke Battery at Kurashiki

JFE Steel announced on Thursday the firm adds new coke oven battery at Kurashiki area of West Japan works for around 20 billion yen. The firm adds new B battery with 43 ovens next to A battery of no.6 coke plant to expand the capacity by 350,000 tonnes per year in lump coke. The construction starts in August and completes in June 2010. The firm tries to cover the higher requirement when the firm expands the raw steel output capacity to annual 33 million tonnes by 2011. Kurashiki area tries to reduce coke consumption by increasing pulverized coal injection (PCI) but the area depends part of coke supply from Keihin of East Japan works. With the new battery, Kurashiki can make coke enough to the operation. Kurashiki, which has 6 coke plants with annual 5 million tonnes of output capacity, expands the coke output capacity to annual 5.44 million tonnes including fine coke through the new battery. Fukuyama area of West Japan works has 5.19 million tonnes of coke output capacity at no.3, 4 and 5 coke plants while the output capacity is 5.36 million tonnes at Keihin and Chiba areas of East Japan works.