Nippon Steel’s NSGP-1 Approved for Oil Tanker Cargo Tank’s Bottom Plate

Nippon Steel announced on Wednesday the firm’s high corrosion resistant steel plate for crude oil tanker, named NSGP-1 (Nippon Steel Green Protect-1), got approval from ClassNK as the world first steel plate that can be adopted to bottom plate of oil tanker cargo tanks with high corrosion resistant performance required by IMO (International Maritime Organization). By this approval, NSGP-1 can be formally used for oil tanker cargo tanks without coating in and after 2013. The approved NSGP-1 is now produced in Nippon Steel’s Oita works.

Nippon Steel developed NSGP-1 in cooperation with Nippon Yusen in order to prevent corrosion of oil tanker cargo tank’s bottom plate. NSGP-1 shows more than 5 times high corrosion resistance compared with conventional steel plate by optimized alloy composition while NSGP-1 can be welded and processed in the same way as conventional steel plate.

IMO revised SOLAS Protocol in 2010 along which crude oil tankers with more than 5000DWT cargo tonnage and constructed in or after 2013 are obliged to implement corrosion resistant coating or adopt high corrosion resistant steel plate. ClassNK released a guideline for new SOLAS Protocol ahead of other countries’ classification societies in December 2010. NSGP-1 was approved along this guideline in April 2011, which represents enough high corrosion resistance as well as required mechanical property and weldablity.

Nippon Steel aims to get the approvals for NSGP-1 produced in Kimitsu works and Nagoya works within 2012. The firm also follows other classification societies’ guideline formulations. Nippon Steel expects steel plate demand for oil tanker cargo tank’s high corrosion resistant bottom plate would total approximately 400,000 tonnes per year. The firm targets NSGP-1 sales to approximately 100,000 tonnes per year.