JFE Steel starts up Japan’s first smokeless stamp-charging coke oven battery
JFE Steel Corporation has commenced operations at coke oven Battery 6-A at its Fukuyama Works in Japan. The start-up marks a milestone for the Japanese steel industry: Battery 6-A is the country’s first Paul Wurth stamp-charging coke oven battery equipped with SOPRECO® smokeless charging technology.
Battery 6-A comprises 52 ovens and has an annual production capacity of 420,000 tons. The facility introduces stamp charging to Japan for the first time. With this process, the coal blend is compacted into a dense, stable cake before being charged into the oven. The resulting higher and more homogeneous bulk density supports consistent coke quality and efficient oven operation.
For emission control, the battery combines a smokeless charging system with Paul Wurth’s SOPRECO® single-oven pressure control technology. SOPRECO® continuously regulates the pressure in each oven, increasing suction during charging and the initial carbonization phase. This helps prevent raw gas from escaping through oven openings and substantially reduces fugitive emissions.
The battery also features an ultra-low NOx heating system, designed to support stable and efficient heating while reducing NOx emissions.
The project scope also includes the turnkey delivery of an SCP (stamping, charging and pushing) machine, together with a new charging-gas transfer car.
This milestone marks an important step forward in the decades‑long partnership between JFE Steel and SMS. Building on the successful delivery of several top‑charged batteries, this latest project involved a comprehensive shift to stamp-charging technology, requiring close coordination and rigorous engineering execution.
Battery 6-A is expected to become a reference installation for low‑emission, high‑efficiency cokemaking technology in the Japanese market.
