Tokyo Steel to Launch Tahara’s Rolling Mill in Feb 2010

Tokyo Steel Manufacturing plans to commence commercial operation of a rolling mill inside Tahara works around February 2010 after several-month test run from the end of November 2009, according to the firm’s annual report 2009. Tahara works is now under construction in Tahara City, Aichi, Japan. The works will launch the steel making process around March 2010. Slabs will be delivered from Okayama works and Kyusyu works till then.

Tahara works is designed to operate an electric furnace and manufacture steel sheets with an output capacity at 2.5 million tonnes per year. For the steel making process, the works will introduce a 300-tonne DC EBT-type electric furnace of continuous charging system, refining facilities, vacuum degassing facilities and continuous casting facilities. The rolling process will have a continuous heating furnace of walking beam type, a hot strip rolling mill, turbulence pickling facilities and levelers.

Tokyo Steel Manufacturing will post depreciation cost at 6 billion yen for fiscal 2009 (Apr09-Mar10) and approximately 20 billion yen for fiscal 2010 due to large capital expenditure for Tahara works. The firm’s profits will be lowered by the depreciation. However, Toshikazu Nishimoto, president of Tokyo Steel Manufacturing, commented the firm regards this capex as an very important strategy for its growth in next 5-10 years.