At the end of 2011, Shandong Province-based Chinese steelmaker Shangang Group closed its last 350 cubic meter blast furnace, at its subsidiary Jinan Iron and Steel Co., according to local media sources. This was the 22nd low capacity blast furnace closed by Shangang Group since 2006, and marked the completion of the steelmaker's project for elimination of its low capacity furnaces.
In the 2006-10 period, Shangang Group eliminated 2.03 million mt of pig iron production capacity and 1.80 million mt of crude steel production capacity. In 2011, it eliminated 400,000 mt of crude steel output capacity.