Hitachi Metals Plans 39 billion yen Expenditure in F2007

Hitachi Metals plans to increase the capital expenditure by 2.2 billion yen to 39 billion yen for fiscal 2007 started April from fiscal 2006. The depreciation increases by 4.8 billion yen to 29.2 billion yen. The expenditure is in line with the total 110 billion yen plan for 3 years to fiscal 2008. The firm tries to clear the bottleneck at special steel making ship and steel rolling processes through the rationalization investment in fiscal 2007. The firm introduces larger facility to scale up of aluminium wheel size along with the higher research and development investment. The firm starts the test running at Chinese roll making joint venture, Baosteel Hitachi Rolls (Nantong) in second half of the year to start shipment in 2008. The firm also builds new amorphous alloy plant in Yasugi, Shimane to meet higher demand in China and India. The firm expands the output capacity of rare earth magnet. The firm invested for rationalization of special steel melting ship and pretreatment facility for ingot and expansion for aluminium wheel and magnet in fiscal 2006.