Press Release
February 16, 2009
Receipt of order for state-of-the-art electric arc furnace
ECOARCTM from South Korea
  

JP Steel Plantech Co. (Steel Plantech) accepted an order for an electric-arc furnace and associated equipment from Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd. (Dongkuk Steel Mill) in South Korea. The order was placed as part of the plan to renew the aging equipment at the Inchon Plant of Dongkuk Steel Mill. The new plant is planned to start operations at the end of 2010 with an annual output of one(1) million tons.

Dongkuk Steel Mill developed a policy to modernize the Inchon Plant as a plant dedicated to producing reinforcing steel bars. In line with this policy, Dongkuk Steel Mill planned to scrap old equipment and integrate equipment into a new system, and was looking for a high-efficiency electric arc furnace. The name of this project was determined as "Eco-Friendly Meltshop" with particular emphasis on consideration to the environment. Dongkuk Steel Mill was looking for equipment that achieved emissions targets, which are becoming more and more severe these days in South Korea too, and satisfied the requirements for giving consideration to the surrounding areas for a factory located in an urban area. As equipment to satisfy these requirements, it selected the state-of-the-art electric arc furnace ECOARCTM.

ECOARCTM is a state-of-the-art shaft-type electric arc furnace made by Steel Plantech, which is comprised of an electric arc furnace and shaft part for continuously charging scrap. It is highly appraised because using it allows a plant to substantially reduce electricity consumption compared with existing furnaces, and there is no restriction in terms of its operation even with lower-grade scrap, the use of which has remarkably increased recently. As environmental measures, ECOARCTM is provided with high efficient combustion and quenching equipment for the treatment of exhaust gases.

This project's ECOARCTM is the fourth furnace to be produced by Steel Plantech, following the one at the Sendai Plant of JFE Bars & Shapes Corporation that started operation last year, and is the first to be ordered from overseas.
Steel Plantech is determined to dedicate itself to supplying environmentally friendly equipment for steel mills.

Note:
Overview of Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd.
Foundation: 1954
Number of employees: About 1,800
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Representative: Sae-Joo Chang
Capital: 421 billion won