JFE Steel Launches Vietnamese Steel Pipe Pile Plant

JFE Steel launched commercial operation of Vietnamese steel pipe pile and steel pipe sheet pile making plant, J-Spiral Steel Pipe. The JFE Steel’s first offshore plant to make construction steel tries to serve Vietnamese infrastructure construction when the country has many projects including power plants and port facilities. The plant also eyes export to growing other Asian countries.

The plant held opening ceremony on Wednesday in Hoh Chi Minh. JFE Steel’s vice president Tsutomu Yajima said JFE Steel provides support in technology and knowhow for the plant to serve Vietnamese economy growth. Local government officials and other share holders including Maruichi Steel Tube’s president Hiroyuki Suzuki and Toyota Tsusho Corporation’s president Junzo Shimizu attended the ceremony.

JFE Steel agreed with Maruichi Steel Tube and Toyota Tsusho in November 2010to purchase the plant, which was established by Korean pipe maker in 1995. They purchased the plant for around 1.3 billion yen to start the new company’s operation in December. JFE Steel and Maruichi Steel Tube have 35% share in the plant each while Toyota Tsusho has 30% share.

The plant has a spiral pipe making line with 50,000 tonnes of annual output capacity to make pipe with 400-2,800 millimeters diameter and 6-24 mm thick. JFE Steel provides the material of hot coil to the plant. The firm tries to develop Vietnamese market by appealing the high level performance while concrete pipe is prevailing in Vietnamese market.