Toho Titanium Completes Sponge Capacity Expansion in Wakamatsu Plant

Toho Titanium announced on Thursday the firm completed capacity expansion works for titanium sponge at Wakamatsu plant in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka, Japan and started the operation in early February. The firm had planned to start the operation in April 2012 but put the schedule two months ahead in order to meet strong demand for titanium sponge.

Toho Titanium started capacity expansion works in February 2011 and the works completed in January 2012. The firm invested approximately 3.9 billion yen to install an additional reducing furnace in no.1 productive line and raised the output capacity to 15,600 tonnes per year from previous 12,000 tonnes.

Market demand is currently steady for titanium sponge mainly from airplane industry. The demand had declined along economic deterioration since 2009 while the users’ inventory adjustment has progressed since 2010.