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Japan’s NSSMC ramps up crude steel production at new Wakayama furnace after startup

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation is in the process of ramping up crude steel production at the new No 2 blast furnace at its Wakayama steelworks in western Japan to full capacity, after starting up the unit on February 15, a NSSMC spokeswoman said Wednesday.

With the new furnace, Wakayama works will have an additional 500,000 mt/year of crude steel capacity.
The new unit, which is replacing the existing No 5 blast furnace, has an inner volume of 3,700 cu m. It was initially expected to come on stream in January-March 2013, but the company postponed the startup as it was waiting for demand to improve.

The additional crude steel output will be supplied to NSSMC’s other works, including the Kokura section of Yawata Works in Kyushu — as the mill’s 2,150 cu m No 2 blast furnace is expected to be shut by March 2021.

Its subsidiary Nippon Steel & Sumikin Shapes will start receiving semi-finished products from Wakayama works after it stops operations at its electric furnace by the end of March.

The Wakayama works also hosts a No 1 blast furnace with inner volume of 3,700 cu m, which last relined in July 2009. Total crude steel output at Wakayama during the April 2017-March 2018 fiscal year was 4.57 million mt, according to the company.
Source: Platts

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