Nippon Steel to Expand Sinter Output Capacity

Nippon Steel expands sinter output capacity at Nagoya and Oita works to increase output of high valued steel with expansion of blast furnaces. The firm started idled coke oven at Nagoya while the Oita works starts operation of new no.5 coke oven in February 2008. The firm tries to realize annualized 35 million tonnes of raw steel output in and after fiscal 2009 starting April 2009. The firm expanded no.1 blast furnace from 4,650 cubic meters of inner volume to 5,443 cubic meters at Nagoya increasing the output capacity by annual 600,000 tonnes. The firm also expands no.1 blast furnace from 4,884 cubic meters to 5,775 cubic meters at Oita increasing the output capacity by 700,000 tonnes. With the expansion, the firm has 35 million tonnes of annual raw steel output capacity. The output was 31.6 million tonnes of raw steel and 30.6 million tonnes of pig iron in fiscal 2006. The firm uses 70-80% of sinter, 15-20% of lump iron ore and 5-10% of pellet. The firm tries to secure sufficient sinter output capacity for the output increase when the firm expands the blast furnace inner volume by total 5,000 cubic meters to 42,100 cubic meters by fiscal 2009 since fiscal 2000. The firm expands the sinter output capacity by 3-4% for 3 plants at Nagoya and one of the 2 plants of Oita by fiscal 2009.