Shagang 5800 m³ Blast Furnace reaches 14,000 tHM/d

A joint team of Shagang and Danieli Corus experts has successfully ramped up the 5800 m³ Blast Furnace No. 4 at Jiangsu Shagang Group’s Zhangjiagang integrated steel plant to a production level of 14,000 tHM/d.

The furnace was relined in 2024 by Danieli Corus, converting it from stave cooling to the “Hoogovens” integrated lining and cooling design, which uses machined copper plate coolers combined with high‑conductivity graphite refractories. Shagang chose this upgrade to achieve longer campaign lives than the typical seven years associated with stave‑cooled furnaces. The “Hoogovens” design, known for campaign lengths of up to 30 years, is the only foreign design adopted in the Chinese steel industry. This project at Shagang marks the third furnace converted by Danieli Corus, following two earlier conversions for Shanxi Taigang.

After the reline, the furnace began its third campaign in June 2024. Production was initially increased to more than 13,000 tHM/d—slightly below the peak levels of earlier campaigns, though achieved with lower coke rates and higher coal injection levels.

As part of the reline scope, an operational assistance program was implemented. Through this collaboration, the joint team further increased output and reduced fuel consumption. In December 2025, the furnace reached 14,000 tHM/d, matching previous record levels set in 2014. At the same time, coke consumption was reduced to below 320 kg/tHM at times, with PCI rates approaching 200 kg/tHM—a great improvement over earlier records.

This accomplishment highlights the strong value of combining external expertise with local operational knowledge—bringing global experience to bear on the complex challenge of advancing the performance of the blast furnace ironmaking process.