Nippon Steel News

New U.S. sanctions on Moscow are more likely than previous ones to cut Indian imports of thermal coal from Russia because they specifically cite top exporters SUEK and Mechel, three major traders of Russian coal said.Russia, historically a minor exporter of the fuel to India, began boosting shipments to the south Asian country after Western sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.The latest U.S. sanctions also include Russia's payment system, financial institutions and energy production."With the new sanctions…

Japan's crude steel output is expected to rise 1.9% in the January-March quarter from a year earlier, helped by a recovery in manufacturing including shipbuilding and machinery, its Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said last week.This would mark the fourth straight quarterly increase and bring annual output for the financial year to March 31 to 97.07 million tonnes, up 17% from a year earlier when the COVID-19 pandemic pushed production to the lowest in about 50 years.METI estimated crude steel output at 24.15 million tonnes for the three-month period…

India's steel exports more than doubled between April and July to hit their highest level in at least six years, boosted by a surge of Chinese buying in defiance of tensions between Beijing and New Delhi.Traders said reduced prices had driven the purchases as Indian sellers sought to get rid of a surplus generated by the impact of COVID-19 on domestic demand and generate much-needed income.It was unclear whether the sales broke any trade rules, but the China Iron and Steel Association…

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday he would impose tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum, in a move the administration said would protect U.S. industry, but which critics said would fail to boost jobs and risked stoking a trade war with China. Trump, speaking after a meeting with U.S. steel and aluminum makers said the duties would be formally announced next week. “We’re going to build our steel industry back and our aluminum industry back," he said. News of the tariffs drove the stocks of U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday he would impose tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum, in a move the administration said would protect U.S. industry, but which critics said would fail to boost jobs and risked stoking a trade war with China. Trump, speaking after a meeting with U.S. steel and aluminum makers said the duties would be formally announced next week. “We’re going to build our steel industry back and our aluminum industry back," he said. News of the tariffs drove the stocks of U.S.

With 12 weeks of 2016 behind us, the dry bulk market is still looking bleak. As the current low demand for transportation of commodities continues, the market is doing what it can by scrapping old ships and restraining from ordering new ones. With only four newbuilding orders registered in the first 12 weeks of 2016, dry bulk contracting is merely a fraction of previous year’s activity. New contracts for dry bulk ships have been on a path of decline in the last year and a half. Currently culminating at a level that resembles a standstill. The four orders amounting to 267,000 DWT is less than a tenth of the 2.8 million DWT placed by the end of February last year. The ordering remains low despite 12-year low newbuilding prices offered from the shipyards.

The current newbuilding prices for dry bulk ships has dropped so much that they just passed the lows of 2012 heading downwards and are now at the lowest level since 2003. That could potentially sway owners into buying new ships feeding even more into the already oversupplied fleet and worsening the condition of the dry bulk market even further. However, it appears that the owners are keeping their cool and not jumping on the low prices. Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO, Peter Sand, Says: “The fact that ship owners have refrained from ordering new dry bulk ships despite the low newbuilding prices is positive for the future dry bulk market. However, for there to be an actual shorter-term improvement in the market we would need to see a spike in demand or a substantial reduction of the fleet”.

An experimental offshore floating wind farm project sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been underway since March 2012. Participating in the project is a consortium comprised of Marubeni (project integrator), the University of Tokyo (technical advisor), Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan Marine United, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, Hitachi, Furukawa Electric, Shimizu, and Mizuho Information & Research.

ClassNK has issued approval for Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation’s newly developed corrosion resistant steel (NSGP-2) for use on the upper deck and/or inner bottom of crude oil tanker cargo oil tanks (COT). Following earlier approvals of steels for the inner bottom plating of COTs, this marks the first time that approval has been granted for corrosion resistant steels for both the top and bottom parts of the COT, providing owners and shipyards with a practical alternative to coating systems. In order to reduce COT corrosion and improve crude oil tanker safety, new amendments to the SOLAS Convention were issued in May 2010 requiring oil tankers over 5…

The world's first chemical tanker to use a combination of duplex stainless steel and stainless clad steel in the construction of its cargo tanks was delivered to Oita-based Hiro Naviera S.A. November 15, 2014 by Usuki Shipyard Co., Ltd., Japanese classification society ClassNK reported. The 12,500MT chemical tanker Sunrise Hope, owned by Hiro Naviera S.A., will be operated by Nippon Marine Co., Ltd. The eco-ship design vessel is equipped with 14 cargo tanks, all which employ duplex stainless steel technology.

Launched in March 2012, the Fukushima experimental offshore floating wind farm project sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is nearing the installation phase as preparatory works for the installation of the 7MW oil pressure drive-type wind turbine on the three-column semi-sub floater at Onahama port, Fukushima, are almost completed and delivery from Nagasaki to Onahama has started today. Participating in the experiment is a consortium comprised of Marubeni (project integrator)…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) announced the world’s first use of highly ductile steel plate NSafe-Hull, developed by Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation on a merchant vessel. The ship featuring this new safety-enhancing feature, a large-size bulk carrier, was launched on August 2. The NSafe-Hull’s highly ductile steel reportedly absorbs side impact to the hull three times more effectively than conventional steel plate, reducing the risk of cracks in the hull and significantly increasing the safety of the vessel, MOL said.

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp, Japan's biggest steelmaker, may start talks on a contract to transport iron ore from Brazilian miner Vale on Valemax ships, the world's biggest bulk carriers, to cut costs, a senior official said. Such a contract would be a boost for Vale, which is trying to increase use of the ships after China in 2012 prevented the world's biggest iron ore miner from docking the giant vessels in its ports to protect its own shipping companies. The 400,000 deadweight tonne (dwt) vessels could cut Nippon Steel's shipping costs by at least $400,000 on each cargo.

A consortium made up of Marubeni (project integrator), the University of Tokyo (technical advisor), Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan Marine United, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, Hitachi, Furukawa Electric, Shimizu, and Mizuho Information & Research has been participating in an experimental offshore floating wind farm project sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry since March 2012. At present, the construction of the three-column semi-sub as part of the second phase has been successfully completed.

Since 1990, steel has been used in the construction of some of the world’s biggest thrill rides but in recent years it is the steel market itself that has seen all the dips and climbs of a high speed rollercoaster. As the global shipping industry went through a major build cycle between 2002-2007 demand for steel plate grew over 350%, placing a significant strain on existing mill capacity and driving prices and profitability higher and higher. However, the inevitable investment…

A consortium comprising of Marubeni (project integrator), the University of Tokyo (technical advisor), Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan Marine United, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, Hitachi, Furukawa Electric, Shimizu and Mizuho Information & Research have been participating in an experimental offshore floating wind farm project sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry since March 2012. At present, the installation work of 2MW downwind-type floating wind turbine…

As demand for wind energy increases, offshore deployments are continuing to move into deeper waters. DNV KEMA has released its new standard for floating offshore wind turbine structures that will help ensure safety and reliability in floating wind turbines, and give the nascent floating-turbine sector the confidence to continue its development to commercial maturity. “A prerequisite for the industry to continue to grow and develop effectively is development of design standards…they are essential to ensure a consistent and appropriate level of safety in design…

Duplex stainless steel, NSSC®2120 by Nippon Steel & Sumikin Stainless Steel Corporation was recentlly chosen for the construction of two domestic tankers. Sasaki Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. & Hakata Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. became the first shipbuilders in Japan to use stainless steel in the recent construction of the vessels, although these days, duplex stainless steels (ASTM A240M S31803, S32205) are increasingly being used for the construction of chemical tankers around the world.

ClassNK announced  that it has approved the first application of duplex stainless steel (NSSC 2120) on vessels in Japan. Tankers built by the Japanese shipyards Sasaki Shipbuilding Co., Ltd and Hakata Shipbuilding Co., Ltd were applied with the duplex stainless steel, which was manufactured by Nippon Steel & Sumikin Stainless Steel Corporation. The two domestic vessels, a chemical tanker and an oil tanker, were launched on January 17, 2013. The cargo tanks for use in chemical tankers built in Japan are generally constructed with austenitic stainless steel SUS304. However, with a nickel content about one quarter of that of SUS304, the…

A consortium made up of Marubeni (project integrator), the University of Tokyo, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, IHI Marine United, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Nippon Steel, Hitachi, Furukawa Electric, Shimizu and Mizuho Information & Research are participating in an experimental offshore floating wind farm project sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. This experimental project consists of three floating wind turbines and one floating power sub-station off the coast of Fukushima. The first stage of this experimental project will begin in 2012 and consists of one 2MW floating wind turbine, the world's first 66kV floating power sub-station and undersea cable.

Japan is preparing to bolt turbines onto barges and build the world’s largest commercial power plant using floating windmills, tackling the engineering challenges of an unproven technology to cut its reliance on atomic energy. Marubeni Corp., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Nippon Steel Corp. are among developers erecting a 16-megawatt pilot plant off the coast of Fukushima, site of the nuclear accident which pushed the government to pursue cleaner energy. The project may be expanded to 1,000 megawatts, the trade ministry said, larger than any wind farm fixed to the seabed or on land. “Japan is surrounded by deep oceans, and this poses challenges to offshore wind turbines attached to the bottom of the sea…

'Valemax' iron ore carrier 'Berge Aconcagua' docks in Japan's Oita Port, a first for this type of ship According to '4-Traders', Brazilian mining company Vale SA informed that its Valemax iron ore vessel--one of seven large iron ore carriers currently operated by Vale--docked in Japan for the first time. The vessel, named the Berge Aconcagua, transported ore to Oita port for Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC). Valemax vessels can carry 400,000 metric tons of iron ore. Vale has encountered difficulties docking Valemax vessels in China--where several of the vessels are being built--due to resistance from Chinese shipowners and alleged port handling capacity problems.

A Japanese consortium to build a Vertical Telescopic Breakwater (VTB), for Shimotsu Harbour. Obayashi Corporation, TOA Corporation, & Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Bridge & Steel Structures Engineering Co., Ltd. (MBE) a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI),will begin construction of a Vertical Telescopic Breakwater (VTB), a buoyancy-driven vertical piling breakwater, in the harbor at Shimotsu in Wakayama Prefecture. Construction is scheduled to begin in early October 2012. The breakwater system is designed to swiftly rise from the sea bottom in the event of tsunami, and contribute to prevention or mitigation of tsunami impact to harbors and coastal areas. When completed, it will be the first such movable steel pipe breakwater system in the world.