Toho Titanium Invests 39.6B Yen for New Sponge Titanium Plant

Toho Titanium announced on Wednesday the concrete plan for a new sponge titanium plant in Kitakyushu City of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan whose construction will start in November 2007 and the operation starts at the end of 2009. The firm plans to produce sponge titanium at 6,000 tonnes per annum at first, increasing the output to 9,000 tonnes within 2010 and to 12,000 tonnes or full production within 2011. The firm invests 39.6 billion yen for the new plant. Approximately 200 employees will work at the new plant in full operation in 2011.Toho Titanium also advances output capacity expansion for sponge titanium at Chigasaki plant in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan by introduction of additional reducing furnace and separatory furnace and improvement of productive efficiency. The firm plans to expand sponge titanium output capacity of Chigasaki plant from current 15,000 tonnes per annum to 16,000 tonnes within fiscal 2007 ending March 2008.After 4 years Toho Titanium’s sponge titanium output capacity will grow up to total 28,000 tonnes per annum.