Nippon Steel Decides Refinement of No.4 Blast Furnace in Yawata Works

Nippon Steel announced on Monday the firm decided refinement and expansion of no.4 blast furnace at Yawata works in Fukuoka. The firm plans to reline and expand the blast furnace to 5,000 cubic meters from present 4,250 cubic meters by 85-day relining works during January-March 2014 mainly led by Nippon Steel Engineering with approximately 34 billion yen capex. Nippon Steel projects the furnace operation with minimum costs by this refinement and reinforces raw steel output capacity under tough international competitions.

Nippon Steel calculated the most cost effective size for the furnace at 5,000 cubic meters. This is the first relining for no.4 blast furnace since the recommencement in 1998. Nippon Steel will become to have total five blast furnaces with above 5,000 cubic meters among nine blast furnaces. The five furnaces are no.4 blast furnace in Kimitsu works, no.1 and no.2 blast furnaces in Oita works, no.1 blast furnace in Nagoya works and expanded no.4 blast furnace in Yawata works.