Mega Quake Impacts on Japan Steel Operations

Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake impacted heavily on Japanese steel industry. Japanese steel makers and related companies with bases in Tohoku and Kanto areas reported on Monday the aftermath of the mega earthquake occurred on Friday. Many plant in Tohoku stopped operations due to damage from quake and Tsunami along with unavailability of power and water supply. Some plants around Kanto stopped the operation under limited power supply when the government seeks saving of power consumption. The operation recovery is uncertain for many plants due to heavy damage for port and road network while some plants recovered the operation.

Nippon Steel stopped the operation at Kamaishi works due to flood after the Tsunami, which damaged some of the port facilities of the works. The firm tries to cover the production loss by supply from other plants of the company and the group companies to keep steel supply while the firm cannot expect immediate recovery of the operation at Kamaishi works. The firm restarted the blast furnaces at Kimitsu works on Sunday after temporally suspension. The works carefully resumes the rolling and other operations under the tight power supply. The firm confirmed no major damage on Muroran works and other works resumed the shipment after temporally suspension during Tsunami and a series of Tsunami warnings.

JFE Steel’s East Japan works restarted the blowing to blast furnace at Keihin area on Sunday and at Chiba area on Monday. However, the firm keeps the status without hot metal production and stops other operation lines to cooperate to power saving. The firm ships some available products despite of the production stoppage when the customers request specially.

Sumitomo Metal Industries confirmed some damage on gas holders, coke oven, blast furnaces and port facilities at Kashima works due to the quake while the works has no damage from Tsunami. The works stops all of the lines and tries to restart the operations as early as possible with all effort in the group. The firm reported Wakayama works, Sumitomo Metals (Kokura) and other operations keep normal operations and the group tries to keep stable supply at the full capability of the group.