[SMM Iron & Steel] Kobe Steel Plans New Large-Scale Scrap Melting Furnace at Kakogawa Works for Decarbonization

Published: May 21, 2026 15:15

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Japan's Kobe Steel has announced plans to evaluate the installation of a new, large-scale scrap melting furnace at its flagship Kakogawa Works, aimed at accelerating its low-carbon transition. This project serves as a key initiative to meet its corporate climate target of reducing carbon emissions by 38% by 2030 (compared to 2013 levels). By combining this high-capacity scrap melting technology with existing blast furnace infrastructures, the mill expects to significantly increase its utilization rate of high-grade ferrous scrap, thereby reducing dependency on virgin hot metal and pig iron inputs.

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