Coke Production and the Impact of Environmental Legislation
AUTHOR: David Reeve DATE: August 2000 This report reviews the
impact of environmental legislation on the manufacture of coke
used in the ironmaking blast furnace. Globally, a slight
oversupply of coke is predicted for the immediate future but
regional shortages will continue. Factors such as improved blast
furnace efficiency and increased use of pulverised coal
injection have led to a decline in specific coke consumption
but, in some regions, coke oven capacity reductions resulting
from unwillingness to bear the costs of battery refurbishing and
pollution control equipment coupled with replacement costs for
aging batteries have still led to supply shortages. These
shortages are to some extent being filled by importing coke,
especially from China. However, on a cautionary note, it is
reported that up to 2000 beehive oven plants in China may be
shut down in the near future because of non-compliance with
national environmental standards. Unless replacem