Japan’s Nippon Steel has commissioned a new hot strip mill at its Nagoya Works, significantly strengthening its production capability for advanced flat steel products, including ultra-high tensile strength (UHSS) steel for the automotive industry.
The new production line features what the company describes as the world’s highest load-capacity rolling mill, enabling substantial improvements in rolling precision and temperature control. Nippon Steel said the investment is aimed at meeting growing demand for high-strength, lightweight automotive steel driven by stricter environmental regulations, tougher vehicle safety standards and the transition to electric vehicles.
The new hot strip mill has an annual production capacity of approximately 6 mln tons and represents an investment of around JPY 300 bln (USD 1.88 bln). The existing hot strip mill at Nagoya Works is scheduled to cease operations during fiscal year 2026.
Nippon Steel said the upgraded facility will reinforce its production of high-grade flat steel products, including ultra-high tensile strength steel with tensile strength of 1.0 GPa or higher, supporting vehicle weight reduction, improved crash performance and lower greenhouse gas emissions throughout the automotive lifecycle.
The company added that Nagoya Works will continue to serve as its flagship production base for automotive steel, supporting the stable supply of advanced steel products and further technological innovation for global customers.
Nippon Steel Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is Japan’s largest steelmaker and the world’s third-largest steel producer. The company has consolidated global crude steel production capacity of around 76 mln tons per year, including 44 mln tons in Japan and 32 mln tons overseas, with a long-term target to expand capacity to 100 mln tons per year.
1 USD / 159 JPY