SteelOrbis Shanghai
Shougang starts first-phase high phosphorus iron ore project in Yichang
SteelOrbis Shanghai
On September 15, Shougang started the first-stage project for development of its high phosphorus iron ore mine located near Yichang City in Hubei Province.
Characterized by ore of high phosphorus content and a complicated microcrystalline structure, the Yichang iron ore mine has been in a deep sleep for more than forty years despite its already proven reserves - due to the worldwide difficulties relating to the processing technology required for beneficiation and dephosphorization. From the beginning of 2005, Shougang carried out dephosphorization research on high phosphorus iron ore for a period of over one year, finally making a significant breakthrough in dephosphorization technology.
As the industrialization of the experimental project of 600,000 mt per annum, the first-phase construction for Shougang's high phosphorus iron ore mine is China's first large-scale industrialized experiment on high phosphorus iron ore, besides being an important milestone in the development of high phosphorus iron ore mining.
The total investment for this project is estimated to be above RMB 8 billion ($1.06 billion). The first-phase construction covers an area of about 50 acres with a designed capacity of 600,000 mt per annum. With the investment of this phase more than RMB 300 million ($40 million), the project is planned to be finished and put into production by the end of June 2008. The capacity for the second-phase project is planned to reach 1.5 million mt per annum.
Shougang is a major steelmaker headquartered in Beijing.