Tokyo, 1 December (Argus) — Japan’s largest steel producer by capacity Nippon Steel stopped operating the Muroran blast furnace in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido today because of a fire.
Fire hit Muroran steel mill’s hot blast stove, a part of the blast furnace, early on 1 December, the company said. The fire was extinguished, but Nippon Steel is unsure when it can resume operation of the blast furnace.
Nippon Steel operates one blast furnace at the Muroran steel mill. The steel mill has a crude steel output capacity of 1.24mn t/yr. The mill mainly manufactures steel products for carmakers.
The company had only resumed normal operation of the Muroran blast furnace in late November, after repairing a steel slag leak in September.
Japan’s crude steel demand to be 20.23mn t in October-December, 2.4pc lower than in the same period a year ago, according to the country’s trade and industry ministry. Demand from the construction sector is expected to fall because of rising material costs and labour shortages, while a recovery in demand from carmakers is also unlikely, Meti said.
By Nanami Oki
