According to media reports, Nippon Steel Executive Vice President Katsuhiro Miyamoto recently stated that the company “should produce 11 million mt of crude steel quarterly.” For the ongoing financial year ending March 31, 2019, production is estimated at 10.3 million mt. Lower crude steel output in recent history was noted due to aging facilities, strains on systems due to higher tensile steels, and lower raw materials grades.
To improve the crude steel production outlook, Nippon Steel replaced the Wakayam blast furnace and conducted more frequent routine maintenance and upgrades at its various sites including the large Oita site in western Japan.