Toho Titanium Eyes Earlier Airplane Grade Sponge Output in Kyushu

Toho Titanium accelerates the activity to get airplane grade certification for sponge titanium at newly opened Wakamatsu plant in Kyushu. The firm now makes sponge titanium for airplane at Chigasaki plant in Kanagawa but the plant could have to reduce the output due to controlled blackout program. The firm tries to get the certification at Wakamatsu earlier than original planned December.

The firm makes titanium sponge and ingot at Chigasaki plant, ingot at Yahata plant in Kyushu and sponge at Wakamatsu while the firm makes high purity titanium for target materials at Hitachi plant in Ibaraki and catalyst for automobile and appliances at Kurobe plant in Toyama. The firm found all the plants had no serious damage by the major earthquake but Hitachi plant stopped the operation due to limited availability of power, water and gas.

The controlled blackout program impacts on the operation of Chigasaki plant. The plant keeps the operation with power generators during the blackout but the operation could be unstable due to limited power and fuel availability. The firm anticipates the operation rate would decrease when the blackout program would continue longer period of time.

Airplane grade sponge titanium is estimated to represent around 60-70% of the total production. Preparing potential production cut at Chigasaki, the firm tries to shift the part of the airplane grade sponge titanium production to Wakamatsu plant by getting the certification as early as possible.