JFE Steel to build shaft furnace at Keihin

Japanese steelmaker JFE Steel has announced plans to build a shaft furnace in the Keihin area of its East Japan Works. The furnace, which will be one of the largest furnaces in Japan, will have an annual scrap melting capacity of 500,000-600,000 mts. The Yen 10 billion-worth ($84.7 million) furnace is scheduled to come on stream in August 2008. Shaft furnaces, which melt ferrous scrap with coke, reduce CO2 emissions by 50 percent as compared to traditional blast furnaces.