In a statement, the company said the US$452 million project is intended to maintain the facility’s competitiveness. 

“The Nagoya Works is one of the world’s leading steel works in optimal integrated manufacturing technology of steel sheets for automobiles. It is also positioned as Nippon Steel’s main integrated manufacturing base of high-grade steel sheet, with competitive capability in product development and response to customers. The Nagoya Works plays a role by supplying upstream-processed materials of high-grade steel sheet to other steel works,” the company said. 

“After the relining, advanced IT and other leading-edge technologies from Japan and abroad will be adopted in the No. 3 blast furnace to realize stable production and higher productivity,” it added. 

The project has been scheduled for the first half of 2022.