May 2006 — Posco recently celebrated the firing of its Pohang Works’ 3rd Furnace. Five days after the firing ceremony, the furnace produced 9,205 tons of hot metal.

Posco adopted the large block technique for its 3rd Furnace, which was the first application of this technology in Korea. The repair was completed in just 58 days, twice as fast as the first repair of the furnace, which was completed in 115 days.

With the upgrade, Posco increased the internal capacity of the No. 3 Furnace by 15%, adding over 460,000 additional tons per year and making the furnace capable of producing over 10,000 tons of molten iron per day. Posco also added cooling systems to every part of the furnace to increase its lifespan, and flattened the release pipe of molten iron to maintain a cleaner and more efficient working environment. In this new and advanced facility, all devices are automated.

Pohang’s No. 3 Furnace was first ignited in December 1978, initiating its first term, which spanned nine years and ten months. The unit’s second term was about twice as long as the first term at 17 years and two months, during which it produced 79,300,000 tons of molten iron. The furnace was extinguished last March for the second repair.