Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex steel plant

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Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex steel plant (황해제철련합기업소, 黃海製鐵聯合企業所), also known as Mitsubishi Saga-Ipo Steel Works (formerly), Hwanghae Iron Works, Japan Iron and Steel Company - Kenjiho/Kyomipo works (predecessor), is a steel plant in Songnim, North Hwanghae, North Korea that operates open hearth furnace (OHF), electric arc furnace (EAF), and blast furnace (BF) technology.

Location

The map below shows the exact location of the plant in Songnim, North Hwanghae, North Korea:

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  • Location: Songnim, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea
  • Coordinates (WGS 84): 38.742224, 125.616814 (exact)

Background

History

Hwanghae Iron Works was constructed while Korea was under Japanese rule from 1910 to 1945.[1] In 1934, Japan Iron and Manufacturing Company began a plant in Songnim with 3 blast furnaces (BF) (total capacity of 1000 TPD), 4 batteries of 35 coke ovens (total capacity of 1240 TPD), a 50-tonne open hearth furnace (OHF), and a 200-tonne basic oxygen furnace (BOF).[2] The plant was later rebuilt with support from former USSR and China.[1] According to a 2014 OECD report, the plant had three blast furnaces, one open hearth furnace and an electric arc furnace.[3] Based on North Korean propaganda media, the annual capacity is estimated at about 1.5 to 2 million tonnes.[4]

Steel for weapons development

In March 2020, Daily NK reported that North Korea is aiming to increase its production of steel for weapons development, with the goal of selling these weapons abroad for foreign currency.[5]

Juche steel

In October 2018, North Korea announced plans to make "juche steel" (steel produced from domestic, rather than imported coal and energy) at the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex.[6] Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex steel plant and Sŏngjin Steel Complex steel plant have also been tasked with producing "juche steel." [7]

An inauguration ceremony of the energy-saving oxygen blast furnace of the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex took place on the spot on December 19, 2024.

Ownership Tree

This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

Plant Details

Table 1: General Plant Details

Start date Power source Iron ore source Coal source
1914[8] captive power plant, power station in Pyongyang[9] Mines in Eunyul, Songnim, Taetan, and Dukhyeon[10] Mines in Anju and Kangso[9]

Table 2: Ownership and Parent Company Information

State-owned entity status Parent company Parent company PermID Parent GEM entity ID Owner Owner company PermID Owner GEM entity ID
Full Government of North Korea [100.0%] 5001424116 [100.0%] E100001000599 [100.0%] Government of North Korea [100%][11] 5001424116 E100001000599 [100%]

Table 3: Process and Products

Steel product category Steel products Steel sector end users ISO 14001 ISO 50001 Responsible steel Main production equipment
semi-finished, finished rolled[12] shapes, sections, plate, bar, hot rolled, beam[12] unknown unknown unknown unknown BF; OHF; EAF

Table 4: Plant-level Crude Steel Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

1Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status1 Electric arc furnace steelmaking capacity Nominal crude steel capacity (total)
operating 750[13] 1500[13]

Table 5: Plant-level Crude Iron Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

1Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status1 Blast furnace capacity Nominal iron capacity (total)
operating 750[14] 750[14]

Table 6: Upstream Products Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

Ferronickel Sinter Pellets
NF NF NF

Table 7: Actual Plant-level Crude Steel Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year EAF production Other/unknown steel production
2019 unknown unknown
2020 unknown unknown
2021 unknown unknown
2022 unknown unknown
2023 unknown unknown
2024 unknown unknown
2025 unknown unknown

Table 8: Actual Plant-level Crude Iron Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year BF production
2019 unknown
2020 unknown
2021 unknown
2022 unknown
2023 unknown
2024 unknown
2025 unknown

Unit Details

Table 9: Blast Furnace Details

Unit name Status Start date Furnace manufacturer and model Current size Current capacity (ttpa) Decarbonization technology Most recent relining
unknown BF (1) operating[12] 1956[15] Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Government)[15] 1000.0 m3[16] 250[14] unknown 2021-09-23[17]
unknown BF (2) operating[12] – Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Government)[15] 1000.0 m3[16] 250[14] unknown –
unknown BF (3) operating[12] – Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Government)[15] 1000.0 m3[16] 250[14] unknown –
unknown BF (4) operating[18] 2024[18] – – 0 – –

Table 10: Electric Arc Furnace Details

Unit name Status Furnace manufacturer and model Current capacity (ttpa) Current size (tonnes)
unknown EAF (1) operating[19] UHP[20] 750[13] 100.0[20]

Table 11: Electric Arc Furnace Feedstock Details

Unit name Scrap-based % scrap % DRI % sponge iron (unknown if DRI or HBI) % basic/merchant pig iron % granulated pig iron % other iron
unknown EAF (1) None unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown unknown

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of steel plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Iron and Steel Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 North Korea Handbook, Yonhap News Agency, Seoul, M.E. Sharpe, Dec. 27, 2002
  2. ↑ The Iron and Steel Industry in Wartime japan, 1931-1945, Richard Lee Krause, East Central State College, 1968
  3. ↑ OECD (2014-08-12). Developments in Steelmaking Capacity of Non-OECD Economies 2013. OECD Publishing. ISBN 978-92-64-21798-0.
  4. ↑ "Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex". NamuWiki. 2024-03-08. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  5. ↑ N. Korea ramps up steel production for weapons development, Jang Seul Gi, Daily NK, Mar. 19, 2020, Retrieved on: May 27, 2020
  6. ↑ North Korea says self reliant iron facility will begin production, Elizabeth Shim, UPI, Oct. 1, 2018, Retrieved on: May 27, 2020
  7. ↑ Juche steel, Stephan Haggard (Peterson Institute for International Economics), Feb. 9, 2011, Retrieved on: May 27, 2020
  8. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220126182827/https://books.google.com/books?id=X2NbDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT285&lpg=PT285&dq=hwanghae+iron+works&source=bl&ots=q5PKFz1URE&sig=ACfU3U0ASgQCWp6ZORXItPJCXcLZrBuj6A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHmKbRvtLpAhXKg-AKHewtDo8Q6AEwBXoECAoQAQ. Archived from the original on 2022-01-26. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 (PDF) https://koreanologie.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/p_koreanologie/North_Korean_Cities/Songrim/Songrim_01.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20200927005529/http://www.kiep.go.kr/cmm/fms/FileDown.do?atchFileId=00000000000001318050&fileSn=0&bbsId=search_report. Archived from the original on 2020-09-27. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240125062243/https://www.nti.org/education-center/facilities/. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 https://web.archive.org/web/20220125160103/https://books.google.com/books?id=IrZFBAAAQBAJ&pg=RA2-PA9&lpg=RA2-PA9&dq=oecd+%28dr%29+slrn&source=bl&ots=MdkLDXw7U2&sig=ACfU3U2Q_eU6bL4H8TNiSyPEOk7IA-1VqA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjLp5bv3tLpAhVIj54KHcDJBQcQ6AEwAXoECAoQAQ. Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20221023073728/https://pubs.usgs.gov/myb/vol3/2017-18/myb3-2017-18-north-korea.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-10-23. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 (PDF) http://images.library.wisc.edu/EcoNatRes/EFacs2/MineralsYearBk/MinYB1977v3/reference/econatres.minyb1977v3.echin2.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20220719194233/http://www.uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?lang=eng&ptype=cfougi&mtype=view&no=3331. Archived from the original on 2022-07-19. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 https://archive.org/stream/jprs-report_jprs-74930/jprs-report_jprs-74930_djvu.txt. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ↑ https://mobile.twitter.com/NorthKoreaFirst/status/1442407800622170117. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1734793847-606174702/birth-of-another-juche-based-metallurgical-furnace-increasing-might-of-self-supporting-economy-energy-saving-oxygen-blast-furnace-inaugurated-in-hwanghae-iron-and-steel-complex/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240912183022/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Developments_in_Steelmaking_Capacity_of/IrZFBAAAQBAJ?q=north+korea&gbpv=1. Archived from the original on 2024-09-12. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2025/202505/news26/20250526-12ee.html. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Resources

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