SteelNews.com Article
JFE Steel to Revamp West Japan Works Blast Furnace
Jun. 25, 2009 JFE Steel Corp. announced plans to revamp the No. 3 Blast Furnace at its West Japan Works in the Kurashiki District.
JFE Steel said the revamp will expand the No. 3 Blast Furnace capacity by about 16%, from its current 4359-m3 inner volume to a future 5055-m3 volume. The revamp, which is expected to cost approximately 30 billion yen, is scheduled to run from October 2009 to April 2010. When it restarts, it will be the blast furnace’s fourth campaign.
Idled since January of this year, No. 3 Blast Furnace is one of three blast furnaces at the West Japan Works’ Kurashiki District. Kurashiki’s other two blast furnaces are currently operating—the 4100-m3 No. 2 Blast Furnace, which was blown in for its fourth campaign in November 2003, and the 5005-m3 No. 4 Blast Furnace, blown in for its third campaign in January 2002.
JFE Steel’s West Japan Works operates three additional blast furnaces at the Fukuyama District: 2828-m3 No. 2 Blast Furnace, which was blown in for its fourth campaign in September 1998; 5000-m3 No. 4 Blast Furnace, which was blown in for its fourth campaign in May 2006; and 5500-m3 No. 5 Blast Furnace, which was blown in for its third campaign in March 2005. A fourth blast furnace at the Fukuyama District — 3223--m3 No. 3 Blast Furnace, which was blown in for its third campaign in August 1994 — is currently idle.
JFE Steel said the timing of Blast Furnace No. 3’s blow-in will depend on market trends.