Kashima Steelworks Restarts Operation of its No. 3 Blast Furnace

Today, Kashima Steelworks restarted its No. 3 Blast Furnace (internal volume: 5,370 cubic meters). The operation of Kashima’s two blast furnaces was suspended when the earthquake struck on March 11, 2011. We are preparing to restart the No. 1 Blast Furnace (internal volume: 5,370 cubic meters) within several days.

Kashima Steelworks is focusing on restarting facilities that produce products that will be used to rebuild the communities in the earthquake-stricken areas of Japan. We are already making progress: on Thursday 17th, the Welded Spiral Tube Mill restarted; on Friday 18th, the Lightweight Welded H-Beams Mill came back on stream; and yesterday on the 19th of March, our Large Welded Pipe Mill, restarted operations.

Here is a summary of the times that our facilities restarted operations.

(Thursday 17th)
The Welded Spiral Tube Mill at Sumikin Welded Pipe Company, Ltd. (Pipe piles used for construction and engineering, and line pipes.)

(Friday, 18th)
Lightweight Welded H-Beam Mill (H-beams used in the construction of temporary housing for earthquake evacuees, and for pre-fabricated steel houses.)

(Saturday, 19th)
Large Welded Pipe Mill (U-O Press Welded Pipe) (Large-diameter line pipes.)

(Sunday, 20th)
No. 3 Blast Furnace

We are currently carrying out checks and repairs at the Plate Mill and steel sheet mills. These mills have restarted some of their equipment for secondary processes, so we are able to finish work-in-process and ship our products. The total shipped tonnage (by ships and trucks) of lightweight welded H-beams, piping piles, gas pipes, steel plates, steel sheets and other products have exceeded 15,000 tons in the days following the earthquake.

The Sumitomo Metals Group is focusing all its resources to restart Kashima Steelworks and to deliver products to our customers as soon as possible.