Posco has completed the improvement process for its 2nd blast furnace at Kwangyang Works in only 66 days, the shortest time recorded in Posco's history. The blast furnace also achieved normalized operations in only three days from the start of its second-generation operation, setting a new world record.

Posco’s new record in normalized operations is three days faster than the preceding record set by Japan's Oita Works in 2004. Posco CEO Ku Taek Lee complemented the workers saying, "we completed the improvement process ahead of schedule based on the competitiveness of our ironmaking technology; we should all have pride in our technological power."

The Kwangyang Works Ironmaking Department applied know-how acquired during the improvement process for the 1st blast furnace. A Test Operation Team was operated prior to the improvement process to advance the onset of normalized operations.

Posco had originally aimed to complete the improvement process in 77 days, which would have already set a new record in Posco's history. Posco managed to reduce this period by 11 days and increase its production of molten iron by 0.11 million tonnes. The production increase was achieved with a newly developed technique that thoroughly exhausts the remaining molten iron from the furnace. This method allowed Posco to greatly reduce the time spent for the removal of remaining molten iron, and ultimately reduced the improvement process by 25 days from the 91 days used for improvement of the 1st Blast Furnace.

In addition to achieving increased capacity, Kwangyang Works’ 2nd Blast Furnace was also able to increase productivity due to the improved cooling system of the furnace body, the increased use of powdered explosives, and the automated platform, resulting in overall improvements of the ironmaking process.

Kwangyang's 2nd blast furnace was first operated July 1988 and produced a total of 51.51 million tonnes of molten iron for 16 years and 8 months until March 14, 2005. It then ended its first generation and was born again in the second generation with a new furnace body and internal parts.

The new blast furnace is a super-size furnace with a capacity of 4,350 cubic meters, about 15% more than the previous furnace. Its annual production of molten iron is expected to increase from 0.45 million tonnes to 3.51 million tonnes a year.

Restarting of the 2nd Kwangyang Works Blast Furnace was celebrated with a fire-making ceremony. The blast furnace produced its first molten iron on the first day, followed by 9,000 tonnes of molten iron two days later. CEO Lee highly commended the Kwangyang 2nd Blast Furnace Improvement Team for successfully completing the improvement process.

Kwangyang Works will maintain stable operations, producing an average of 10,000 tonnes of molten iron per day. The facility will concentrate on improving the ironmaking process to realize high productivity.