JFE-Baowu JV in China expands HDG capacity to 1.2 mln t/y

JFE Steel, Japan's second largest integrated mill, shared on December 8 that it has completed expanding hot-dipped galvanizing (HDG) capacity at Guangzhou JFE Steel Sheet Co. (GJSS), a 50:50 venture with China Baowu Steel Group, by 50% to 1.2 million tonnes/year via remodeling a 1 million t/y continuous annealing line to anneal and galvanize, and the hot run has commenced sometime in November.

The joint venture in South China's Guangdong province is installed with two 400,000 t/y HDG lines and hosting a 1.8 million t/y cold-rolling capacity, and the expansion in HDG is to meet up the growing demand from China's auto industry with higher production, according to a company official. The plant