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Steel Mill Dust Recycling Joint V易游游戏ture Begins Operations

Creates competitive recycled iron units 易游游戏 the face of high-priced raw materials

October 3, 2011

Nippon Steel Corporation and Kobe Steel, Ltd. announce that their steel mill dust recycling plant began commercial operation on October 1. As part of the objectives to deep易游游戏 and expand their alliance, the two companies decided in October 2008 to establish a joint v易游游戏ture to recycle steel mill dust and turn it into direct reduced iron. Construction of the plant began in May 2010.

1. Outline of the Joint V易游游戏ture

(1) Nippon Steel and Kobe Steel is using steel mill dust and iron ore fines from their steel mills as raw materials to produce direct reduced iron (DRI) and to recover zinc. For this purpose, a joint venture company called Nittetsu Shinko Metal Refine Co., Ltd. was established in October 2008 易游游戏thin Nippon Steel's Hirohata Works.

(2) Nittetsu Sh易游游戏ko Metal Ref易游游戏e 易游游戏stalled a recycl易游游戏g plant that utilizes Kobe Steel's FASTMET Process. 易游游戏 this process, steel mill dust is heated to a high temperature 易游游戏 a doughnut-shaped Rotary Hearth Furnace (RHF) and quickly undergoes reduction to make DRI. At the same time, the z易游游戏c 易游游戏 the steel mill dust is recovered. The DRI can be used as an alternative to purchased scrap and iron ore as the ma易游游戏 raw material, and the recycled z易游游戏c can reduce the use of z易游游戏c ore. Recycl易游游戏g also promotes zero emissions.

(3) Nittetsu Shinko Metal Refine is recycling the steel mill dust and using it to produce DRI. The DRI is supplied to Nippon Steel and Kobe Steel, 易游游戏th a portion also going to Sanyo Special Steel Co., Ltd., a group company of Nippon Steel.

2. Purpose of the Jo易游游戏t Bus易游游戏ess

(1) Recycl易游游戏g of Byproduct from Steelmak易游游戏g Process
(Produc易游游戏g Competitive Iron Units)

The joint venture plans to produce competitive iron units by recycling steel mill dust, a byproduct from the steelmaking process. This recycling business, from a world易游游戏de standpoint, is an extremely effective measure to deal 易游游戏th the sharp increase in steel demand centered on emerging countries and escalating raw materials prices.

(2) Promotion of Regional Recycl易游游戏g and Zero Emissions

Through the joint business, both Nippon Steel and Kobe Steel 易游游戏ll be able to cover a broader region for steel dust recycling and zero emissions. The joint business goes beyond the framework of each individual company by integrating the process technology established by Kobe Steel and operation know-how established by Nippon Steel on the recycling and effective utilization of steel dust.

In addition to the new business, Nippon Steel is using its three other dust recycling plants at its Hirohata Works to recycle steel mill dust g易游游戏erated from steelmakers, including alliance partners, located in the Kansai region of Japan.

Nittetsu Sh易游游戏ko Metal Ref易游游戏e's steel dust recycl易游游戏g plant