China Steel to Start New Blast Furnace in 2009

China Steel Corporation of Taiwan will start construction of the second steel works in the year starting the blast furnace operation in the end of 2009. Board of the affiliate, Dragon Steel Corporation, which constructs and operates the new works, authorized the plan to submit order for iron making and steel making facilities in May. The firm will make the second phase plan for the no.2 blast furnace and hot strip mill by 2009 when the firm finishes the first phase. The firm plans to build a blast furnace with 3,200 cubic meters of capacity and 2 converters with each 150 tonnes capacity and a continuous slab caster as the first step with 2.5 million tonnes of annual raw steel output capacity for 78.8 billion New Taiwan Dollar. The firm said the firm pended the construction of new hot strip mill. The new works will supply high valued slab for existing facilities of the group and ship some pig iron for Dragon Steel, which improves quality and productivity for H-beam and narrow plate. The firm expanded the plan from original 2,800 cubic meters of blast furnace to secure additional steel source for the group company including Chung Hung Steel.