Sumitomo Titanium to Expand Sponge Capacity to 38,000 t/y

Sumitomo Titanium announced on Monday the firm expands the sponge titanium output capacity by 14,000 tonnes to annual 38,000 tonnes by 2009 under new 3-year plan to fiscal 2009 ending March 2010. The firm, which changes the name to Osaka Titanium Technologies, expends 51 billion yen. The firm doubles the recurring profit to 30 billion yen in fiscal 2009 from fiscal 2006. The firm announced the sponge titanium expansion by 10,000 tonnes from annual 24,000 tonnes for 27.6 billion yen in October. The firm announced the new plan for additional 4,000 tonnes and 4.3 billion yen of expansion to increase by 8,000 tonnes by January 2009 and by 6,000 tonnes by September 2009. The firm adds a vacuum arc remelting furnace to expand the melting capacity to annual 8,500 tonnes from 7,000 tonnes for 2 billion yen. The firm also considers new electron beam furnace or plasma furnace. The firm, which already announced 400 tonnes and 5.4 billion yen of expansion, adds 100 tonnes and 1.2 billion yen to increase the annual output capacity of polycrystalline silicon from 900 tonnes to 1,400 tonnes. The capacity will increase by 400 tonnes by July 2007 and by 100 tonnes by October 2008. The firm also expands the annual sales of high purity titanium from 160 tonnes to 300 tonnes under the 3-year plan through expansion when the demand expands as target material.