Henan Province-based Pingmei Shenma Group has established its second joint venture, called Zhongping Echeng Integrated Coking Co., with Hubei Province-based Chinese steelmaker Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corp. (WISCO), according to Chinese media sources. The new JV will mainly produce coke, coke oven gas, coal tar and other related products, with an annual output capacity of coke amounting to 2.2 million mt.

Pingmei Shenma Group is one of the key energy suppliers of WISCO, while WISCO has become Pingmei Shenma Group’s second-largest shareholder. In June 2008, the two companies established their first joint venture, Pingmei WISCO Integrated Coking Co., which has an annual coke production capacity of 7 million mt.