Present status and future prospects of energy conservation in Japanese steel industry

The energy conservation achievements realized by the Japanese steel industry since the first oil crisis (1973) were reported. In addition, the outline of the self action plan on environmental conservation announced by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation in December 1996, the new energy-saving technologies containing next generation iron- and steel-making technologies and the development problems it should tackle toward the realization of a sustainable society were clarified in this paper.