NSSC Starts Expanded Plate Operation at Yawata

Nippon Steel & Sumikin Stainless Steel (NSSC) started commercial operation of new plate making facility at Yawata works on Tuesday. With the 2.4 billion yen of facility, the output capacity increased to annual 130,000 tonnes.

The firm added pickling and inspection line, packaging yard and shipping yard. The firm expanded the output capacity by increasing the finishing capacity, which was less than rolling capacity.

Stainless plate demand is expanding worldwide for vacuum chamber of liquid crystal panel television, petrochemical plant and liquid natural gas facilities. The supply keeps tight despite of full capacity operations by makers. NSSC decided to expand the capacity when major plate using projects lift the demand.

NSSC is top stainless plate maker in Japan while JFE Steel and Nippon Yakin Kogyo also produce the plate.