Tenova to supply second Consteel EAF to Nippon Steel Hirohata plant

Tenova has been awarded a contract to supply a second Consteel electric arc furnace (EAF) to Nippon Steel's Hirohata Works in Himeji, Japan, as the steelmaker expands electric steelmaking capacity for high-grade special steels.

The order was placed through Daido Steel, which is acting as EPC contractor for the project. The new furnace will have a heat size of 110 tonnes and will follow the first Consteel EAF at Hirohata, which was commissioned in 2022.

Tenova's Consteel technology continuously feeds and preheats scrap before it enters the EAF. Combined with automated process controls, the system is designed to reduce energy consumption and improve melting performance and process stability.

The new installation will incorporate experience gained from operation of the first Hirohata furnace, with Tenova highlighting flexibility in the use of different charge materials and operating conditions as a key feature of the technology.

The project forms part of a broader cooperation between Tenova and Nippon Steel on EAF technology. In addition to the two Hirohata installations, the companies recently signed a contract for a significantly larger 340-tonne Consteel EAF for Nippon Steel's Yawata Works.

“The project secures our co-operation with Nippon Steel, which began with the supply of the first Consteel EAF in 2022,” said Mario Marcozzi, Marketing & Sales Director at Tenova.

The latest Hirohata project reflects Nippon Steel's continued investment in electric steelmaking technology as it develops lower-emission production routes while maintaining the capability to manufacture high-grade steel products.

Source and Photo: Tenova