JFE Steel is investing JPY43bn revamping blast furnace (BF) No. 6 in Chiba at the East Japan Works by late 2022 as it plans to shut its upstream rolling mill and BF No. 2 in the Keihin region of Japan by late 2023. These structural reforms are expected to improve profits by JPY85bn annually.
The expansion at BF #6 is being undertaken to compensate for the loss of capacity when at BF #2 in the Keihin district is shut, which currently produces 3.5mn mt of steel products like plates, cold roll sheets and welded pipe. BF #6 has a current capacity of around 6mn mt and is expected to cover up the capacity in crude steel production.
JFE also has three blast furnaces in the West Japan Works Kurashiki District and three more in the West Japan Works Fukuyama District.