Baosteel to expand low-emission Corex iron plant

SHANGHAI, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Baosteel Group, China's largest steelmaker, will double the pig iron production capacity of its low-emission Corex plant to 3 million tonnes in an expansion project due for launch before the end of the year, the company said on Saturday.

Corex direct iron-ore smelting technology, which produces pig iron without processed coking coal, can cut production costs and pollution emissions, Baosteel said.

Baosteel, the parent of listed Baoshan Iron and Steel Co (600019.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), started commercial production at the first phase of the plant, able to produce 1.5 million tonnes of pig iron per year, on Saturday.

It gave no time frame for completion of the expansion. (Reporting by Alfred Cang; Writing by Edmund Klamann; editing by Louise Heavens)