Nippon Steel to Expand Iron and Steel Making by 10% at Nagoya

Nippon Steel will expand the output capacity of iron making and steel making processes at Nagoya works by around 10% after the firm relines and expands no.1 blast furnace in January-March 2007 and adds no.3 converter. The firm expands the unconsolidated raw steel output to 35 million tonnes in first half of 2009 with expansion in Kimitsu and Oita works. The firm will have 40 million tonnes of output capacity including steel source of affiliates and alliance partners. Nagoya works, which operates no.1 blast furnace with 4,650 cubic meters of capacity and no.3 blast furnace with 4,300 cubic meters, produced 7.12 million tonnes of pig iron in fiscal 2005 ended March 2006. The works produced 6.07 million tonnes of raw steel in the year while the works supplied pig iron to castings makers and the subsidiary, Tokai Special Steel. The works operates no.1 blast furnace for 14 years after restart in 1992. The works decided to expand the furnace to 5,400 cubic meters of capacity to maximize the output when high valued steel demand is expected to keep firm.