POSCO Opens Third Repair of Pohang No.4 Blast Furnace with 'Yeonwajeong Tapping' Ceremony, Praying for Successful Operation

125 Days of Facility Modernization
530 Billion KRW and Over 378,000 People Involved

POSCO announced on the 29th that it held a Yeonwajeongchosi ceremony at the No. 4 blast furnace renovation site at the Pohang Steelworks to pray for the safe and successful completion of the construction and stable operation.

The renovation, usually conducted every 15 years, is a process of shutting down the furnace and halting production to modernize the equipment for performance improvement. The Yeonwajeongchosi (煉瓦定礎式) is a ceremony commemorating the start of the construction of refractory bricks, the core material of the blast furnace that can withstand high heat, and praying for the successful operation of the furnace.

POSCO held the 3rd repair and lining renewal ceremony for Blast Furnace No. 4 at the Pohang Steelworks on the 29th. From the left: Jung Woo-young, Head of POSCO Investment Engineering; Choi Woong-ryeol, Deputy Head of POSCO Pohang Steelworks Rolling Mill Department; Yoo Byung-ok, CEO of POSCO Future M; Jeon Jung-seon, CEO of POSCO E&C; Baek In-gyu, Chairman of Pohang City Council; Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang; Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do; Jang In-hwa, Chairman of POSCO Group; Kim Jung-jae, Member of the National Assembly; Lee Si-woo, CEO of POSCO; Park Yong-seon, Vice Chairman of Gyeongsangbuk-do Council; Kim Kyung-han, Head of Communications Team at POSCO Holdings; Cheon Si-yeol, Head of POSCO Pohang Steelworks; Lee Baek-hee, Head of POSCO Safety and Environment Headquarters; Yang Byung-ho, Head of POSCO Management Support Headquarters; Kim Yong-su, Head of POSCO Purchasing and Investment Headquarters.

The event was attended by POSCO Group Chairman Jang In-hwa, POSCO CEO Lee Si-woo, POSCO E&C CEO Jeon Jung-sun, POSCO Future M CEO Yoo Byung-ok, and other POSCO Group executives, as well as Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-woo, National Assembly member Kim Jung-jae, Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok, Gyeongsangbuk-do Council Vice Chairman Park Yong-seon, Pohang City Council Chairman Baek In-gyu, and other related officials.

The attendees inscribed a total of 16 calligraphic phrases, including "Choi-Ilryu (超一流, Super First-Class)" and "Choshim (初心, Original Intention)," on the refractory bricks, expressing their wishes for the successful operation of Pohang No. 4 blast furnace and the sustainable development of POSCO.

Pohang No. 4 blast furnace was completed in February 1981 with a volume of 3,795㎥, underwent its first renovation in 1994, and was reborn as a mega blast furnace with a volume of 5,600㎥ through the second renovation in 2010. It ceased operation on February 23 after about 14 years of operation and began the third renovation work. The construction is scheduled to proceed for about 125 days until the end of June and then resume operation.

The volume of the third renovation remains the same, but the focus is on restoring performance through modernization of aging equipment, establishing a stable production system, enhancing safety through durability improvements, and building a smart blast furnace system utilizing big data and artificial intelligence (AI).

The Pohang No. 4 blast furnace renovation project involves an investment of approximately 530 billion KRW and will employ a total workforce of about 378,000 people during the construction period, expected to contribute to local employment creation and regional economic revitalization.

Chairman Jang In-hwa said, "The blast furnace plays a role like the heart of a person, and once the construction is completed, Pohang No. 4 blast furnace will beat passionately again, carrying the various wishes inscribed on the refractory bricks. Based on innovation toward becoming a super first-class company, we will continue to strive to grow and develop, earning trust and respect from the local community and the public."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.