According to the steelmaker, the furnace was blown in on 13 January, launching its third campaign. The previous two began in June 1977 and May 1998. The company said that although the furnace volume was unchanged through the project, remaining at 5,153 cubic meters, other improvements were made.

“The revamping has helped to stabilize furnace operation by adopting data science technology to improve the accuracy of both the positioning of material charging and controlling furnace heat. In addition, adjacent equipment has been updated to improve workability and extend the life of the furnace body,” the company said.