JFE Steel Corporation announced today that it has formally decided to further expand the electrical steel sheet capacity of its West Japan Works’ Kurashiki steel facility, adding a second phase of expansion on top of an initial expansion that is currently underway.

Combined, the two expansion projects will triple the plant’s original production capacity for top-grade non-oriented electrical steel sheet, a critical material used in the manufacture of electric vehicle primary motors. Phase II will cost about 46 billion yen and the completed facilities are expected to begin operating within the fiscal year ending in March 2027.

The ongoing Phase I expansion, which will cost about 49 billion yen, will double the plant’s original capacity for the same type of sheet when the new equipment goes online in the first half of the fiscal year starting in April 2024.

JFE Steel is steadily upgrading its overall manufacturing operations in Japan with world-class technologies with the aim of producing advanced steel products that help to reduce CO₂ emissions and contribute to a more sustainable world.

About JFE Steel Corporation

JFE Steel Corporation, one of the world’s leading integrated steel producers, was established through the consolidation of NKK Corporation and Kawasaki Steel Corporation in 2003. The company operates several steelworks in Japan and numerous branch offices and affiliates throughout the world. JFE Steel leverages world-class technologies and know-how to produce a wide range of products based on its “Only One, Number One” strategy of focusing on unique and best-in-class products. The company reported consolidated sales of 2,255 billion yen and consolidated crude steel output of 23.96 million tons in the fiscal year ended March 2021.

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