Nippon Steel’s Oita Works Raises Export Shipping Capacity

Nippon Steel’s Oita works raises steel shipping capacity for export within fiscal 2010 ending in March 2011. The works will introduce an additional crane in the shipping yard to improve shipping efficiency for ocean going vessels and realize shorter delivery lead time for overseas steel users.

Oita works’ hot rolled coil export and large-size ocean going vessels’ arrivals increased in fiscal 2009. Steel loading on large-size ships takes longer lead time. At present, 10 cranes operate in Oita works’ shipping yard. The works aims to improve shipping efficiency by introduction of a new crane.

Oita works established 10-million-tonne annual output capacity in July 2010. The works’ crude steel production reached 880,000 tonnes in October 2009 when No.1 blast furnace operated. The works achieved full output of hot coil at 590,000 tonnes in May 2010 and full output of steel plate at 230,000 tonnes in July 2010.

In the first half of 2010, the crude steel production totaled approximately 4.6 million tonnes despite of operative trouble in no.2 blast furnace for about 2 months. The annual production is expected to reach 9.2 million tonnes, approaching 9.39 million tonnes in 2007.

In the downstream operations, Oita works recently added a heating furnace to existent 3 furnaces inside the hot rolling mill and newly introduced a roughing stand and a shearing machine inside the plate mill. As a result, the works achieved full capacity output of hot coil and plate after recovery of No.2 blast furnace.

The works’ exporting rate of steel products exceeded 40%.