JFE Steel, the second-largest steel manufacturer in Japan, announced its plan to build a new large-scale electric arc furnace (EAF) in around 2027 to reduce CO2 emissions and replace the No.2 blast furnace at the Kurashiki Plant.
Yoshihisa Kitano, President and CEO of JFE Steel, said that the planned EAF will have an annual production capacity of 2 million tons of high-grade steel, and it will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by 2.6 million tons yearly compared to the current emissions from the blast furnace. JFE Steel aims to cut its CO2 emissions by 30% from the 2013 levels by 2030.
Daido Steel Co., Ltd. will supply an electric furnace named STARQ® to JFE Steel, and the facility will be installed at the No.4 steelmaking plant in Chiba.
JFE Steel said it produces stainless steel at the No.4 plant. Introducing the new electric furnace will help it increase scrap use and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 450,000 tons yearly. STARQ® is an electric furnace without restrictions on the type or shape of input raw materials, and it is ideal for manufacturing high-grade steels such as stainless steel.
The electric furnace has a planned production capacity of approximately 300,000 tons per year, and it was scheduled to be put into operation in the second half of 2025.
