Hyundai Steel Fires Up Second Blast Furnace

Hyundai Steel Co., South Korea's second-largest steelmaker, has started operations for its second blast furnace, sharply boosting its output capacity. The new furnace is located at the company’s steel mill in Dangjin, South Korea.

According to Asia in Focus, commercial operations of the furnace, which has a rated production capacity of 4 million tons of crude steel, are expected to start early next year, according to Hyundai Steel. The steel mill, which houses two blast furnaces, will produce a total of 8 million tons of steel products per year, including 6.5 million tons of hot-rolled steel sheets. The first blast furnace, with an output capacity of 4 million tons, started its operation in April 2010. Published reports note that the mill was designed to accommodate three furnaces. However, the company has not yet determined when they would construct a third blast furnace.

"We should redouble efforts to make the steel mill the most competitive and eco-friendly in the world," says Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo said in a speech at a ceremony marking the operation of the second furnace.
The opening of the second blast furnace will push Hyundai Steel’s annual production capacity to around 20 million tons. Hyundai Steel also operates electric furnaces (EAFs) that produce around 12 million tons of steel annually. Those EAFs primarily use ferrous scrap as a raw material.