JFE Steel’s Vietnamese steel pipe pile plant, J-Spiral Steel Pipe targets around 50,000 tonnes per year of full capacity operation during first half of 2012 by increasing the working time. The plant also expands the production size to world largest 3,000 millimeters of outer diameter in the year while the plant adds heavy duty coating facility, which is the first facility in Southeast Asia. The plant tries to follow growing demand in Vietnam and Southeast Asia and Australia.
The joint venture plant with Maruichi Steel Tube and Toyota Tsusho Corporation started operation in December 2010. The plant increases the sales in Vietnam with active investment for major bridges and port facilities. The plant expects annual 50,000 tonnes of steel pipe pile demand in Southeast Asia and the demand increases more. The plant operates at around 2,000 tonnes per month to meet strong demand in steel pipe pile, steel pipe sheet pile and water supply pipe. The plant increases the workers by 20 to 80 for additional operating shift in the year. The plant increases the production size from current 2,800 mm of outer diameter to 3,000 mm. The plant also increases the production time by 50% by automation of coil welding, more capacity for welding wire supply and reducing idle time. Vietnam will use more than 500,000 tonnes of pipe for renewal of old water supply system. The plant tries to get stable order through cooperation with JFE Steel’s Vietnamese office and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology.