JFE Steel announced today that its J-TerraPlate^™, large and heavy steel plate produced with the No. 7 continuous caster of the Kurashiki Plant in the company’s West Japan Works, has been selected for the first time for the production of monopile foundation.

In accordance with the acceleration of carbon neutrality, offshore wind power is highly expected as green energy, and further expansion of offshore wind power is anticipated to expand. Two types of structures are used for the foundations of offshore wind turbines — bottom-fixed type and floating type, and JFE Steel’s J-TerraPlate^™ has been selected to produce bottom-fixed monopile foundation.

The size of offshore wind turbines is expected to increase to maximize power-generation capacity, requiring larger monopiles and other foundational structures to support these larger turbines. The monopiles are manufactured by welding ultra-thick steel plates, resulting in increased welding workloads that require monopile manufacturers to improve the efficiency of such operations.

Using larger and heavier steel plates, such as J-TerraPlate^™, makes it possible to reduce the volume of welding operations compared to using conventional small-size plates, which also helps to raise process efficiency while lower manufacturing costs. JFE Steel is one the few steel manufacturers in the world capable of manufacturing and supplying such large and heavy steel plates in large quantities. The company has upgraded its facilities in the plate mills of its West Japan Works (Kurashiki) and East Japan Works (Keihin) to manufacture and supply steel plates of up to 37 tons in large quantities.

Offshore wind power is targeted as a strategic priority in the JFE Group’s Seventh Medium-term Business Plan and the JFE Group Environmental Vision for 2050. Going forward, JFE Steel will continue to expand its green-energy initiatives in order to contribute to an increasingly decarbonized world.

Image of monopile for offshore wind-power generator

Advantages of using large and heavy steel plates for monopiles

Reference

Presentation on JFE Group Environmental Vision for 2050, May 25, 2021 (p.40-45)

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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