Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex steel plant

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Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex steel plant (김책제철연합기업소 (Korean), 김책제철소 (Korean), 金策製鐵聯合企業所 (Chinese)), also known as Jince Iron and Steel Co. Ltd., Kimch'o'l, Kim Chaek Iron Works and Kim Chaek Steel Union Corporation, Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Factory, Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Works, The Big Metallurgical Base of the North, is a blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF), electric arc furnace (EAF) and open hearth furnace (OHF) steel plant operating in Chongjin, North Hamgyeong, North Korea.

Location

The map below shows the exact location of the plant in Chongjin, North Hamgyeong, North Korea:

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  • Location: Songpyong-guyok, Chongjin, North Hamgyeong Province, North Korea
  • Coordinates (WGS 84): 41.753784, 129.752681 (exact)

Background

History

Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex is North Korea's oldest and largest steel mill, consisting of two steelmaking complexes (North Complex and South Complex).[1] Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex was constructed by Nippon Steel while Korea was under Japanese rule from 1910 to 1945. The plant was rebuilt with support from former USSR and China.[2] The Soviet Union provided technology and equipment for steel production in 1975. In 1996, equipment for producing pig iron without coke and low-carbon steel was installed.[3] It was nationalised after the establishment of DPRK.[4] According to a 1999 report, the plant had a steel production capacity of 6000 ttpa.[5] As per a 2014 OECD report, the plant had a capacity of 2400 ttpa.[6]

Operation issues

Coke supplies for Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex have been unstable since Russia stopped supplying the plant after Kim Il Sung's death in 1994.[3] Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex has shut down periodically due to lack of coal and electricity, including known instances in 1993, 1994, 1995, 2011, and 2014 (possibly more often than that). The Kim Chaek plant has rarely operated at full capacity since the 1990s, with some reports indicating operation at half or less capacity. [1][3][7]

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.[8]

Juche steel

The Kim Chaek steel and Sŏngjin steel complexes produce "juche steel" (steel produced from domestic, rather than imported coal and energy).[7] Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex steel plant was also tasked with producing "juche steel" in October 2018.[9]

Plant Details

Table 1: General Plant Details

Plant status Start date Workforce size Power source Iron ore source
Operating[10] 1938[11][12] 25000[13] Chongjin City power station[14] Musan Iron Mine[15]

Table 2: Ownership and Parent Company Information

Parent company Parent company PermID Parent company GEM ID Owner Owner company PermID Owner company GEM ID
Government of North Korea [100%] 5001424116 [100%] E100001000599 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (Government)[11] 5001424116 E100001000599

Table 3: Process and Products

Steel product category Steel products Steel sector end users Main production equipment Detailed production equipment
semi-finished; finished rolled[16] hot rolled, colled rolled, plate, wire rod, seamless tube, hot-dip galvanized[11][10][16] tools and machinery[17] BF, BOF, EAF, OHF[16] 3 BF; 2 BOF (LD BOF and Bessemer BOF); 1 EAF; 1 OHF[16][18][19]

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

*Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status* Basic oxygen furnace steelmaking capacity Electric arc furnace steelmaking capacity Open hearth furnace steelmaking capacity Nominal crude steel capacity (total)
operating 3000 TTPA[20][21][22][20][21][22] 1500 TTPA[20][21][22] 1500 TTPA[20][21][22] 6000 TTPA[20][21][22][20][21][22][20][21][22][20][21][22]

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

*Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status* Blast furnace capacity Nominal iron capacity (total)
operating 2800 TTPA[23][23][15] 2800 TTPA[23][23][15]

Blast Furnace Details

Table 6: Blast Furnace Details

Unit name Status Announced date Construction date Start date Furnace manufacturer and model Current size Current capacity (ttpa) Decarbonization technology Most recent relining
1 operating[24][25] unknown unknown 1938[12] Mitsubishi[12] 1000 m³[15] 800[23] unknown unknown
2 operating[24][25] unknown unknown 1958[26] Mitsubishi[12] 1000 m³[15] 800[23] unknown unknown
3 operating[24][25] unknown unknown 2009[27] –[15] 1500 m³[15] 1200[15] unknown unknown

Articles and Resources

Additional data

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

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex: Down but Not Out, 38 North, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Andy Dinville, Jun. 20, 2016, Retrieved on: May 27, 2020
  2. ↑ North Korea Handbook, Yonhap News Agency, Seoul, M.E. Sharpe, Dec. 27, 2002
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Kim Ch'aek Iron and Steel Complex, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Apr. 1, 2003 Retrieved on: May 27, 2020
  4. ↑ "김책제철연합기업소, 주체철 생산공정 확립". 자주시보. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  5. ↑ Tse, Pui-Kwan (1999). "The mineral industry of North Korea" (PDF). Retrieved 27 October, 2023. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ↑ OECD (2014-08-12). Developments in Steelmaking Capacity of Non-OECD Economies 2013. OECD Publishing. ISBN 978-92-64-21798-0.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Juche steel, Stephan Haggard (Peterson Institute for International Economics), Feb. 9, 2011, Retrieved on: May 27, 2020
  8. ↑ N. Korea ramps up steel production for weapons development, Jang Seul Gi, Daily NK, Mar. 19, 2020, Retrieved on: May 27, 2020
  9. ↑ North Korea says self reliant iron facility will begin production, Elizabeth Shim, UPI, Oct. 1, 2018, Retrieved on: May 27, 2020
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220125160019/https://www.38north.org/2016/06/kimchaek062016/. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125062243/https://www.nti.org/education-center/facilities/. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20211117020317/https://www.nknews.org/2015/03/north-korean-steel-production-slumps-hindering-economy-military/. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220819045657/https://www.dailynk.com/english/model-kim-chaek-complex-in-dire-st/. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220320170437/https://gem.wiki/Chongjin_City_power_station. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 https://archive.org/stream/jprs-report_jprs-74930/jprs-report_jprs-74930_djvu.txt. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 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 25 January 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220120123343/https://www.dailynk.com/english/north-korea-ramps-up-steel-production-weapons-development/. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ↑ 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 27 September 2020. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240119024522/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Developments_in_Steelmaking_Capacity_of/IrZFBAAAQBAJ?q=north+korea&gbpv=1. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 https://web.archive.org/web/20240303042456/https://www.azovpromstal.com/news/one/id/5891?lng=en. Archived from the original on 03 March 2024. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |archive-date= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 21.7 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240303042513/https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/mineral-pubs/country/1999/9315099.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 03 March 2024. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |archive-date= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 22.7 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#v=onepage&q=oecd%20(dr)%20slrn&f=false. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 Iron and Steel Complex steel plant https://archive.org/stream/jprs-report_jprs-74930/jprs-report_jprs-74930_djvu.txtHwanghae Iron and Steel Complex steel plant. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 https://books.google.com/books?id=IrZFBAAAQBAJ&pg=RA2-PA9&lpg=RA2-PA9&dq=oecd+. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 https://knowkorea.github.io/PDF/TIMES-2018-39.pdf(dr)+slrn&source=bl&ots=MdkLDXw7U2&sig=ACfU3U2Q_eU6bL4H8TNiSyPEOk7IA-1VqA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjLp5bv3tLpAhVIj54KHcDJBQcQ6AEwAXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=north%20korea&f=false. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. ↑ https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/note-ceremony-unveil-first-blast-furnace-built-territory-dprk-koreans-themselves-without. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20191124011520/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2009/200912/news17/20091217-27ee.html. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Resources

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