Nippon Steel Corp., Japan's largest steelmaker, said Thursday that one of its two steel plants in Kimitsu will be closed until the end of December to repair a chimney that collapsed in a typhoon last month. p>
The typhoon-affected plant produces about 150,000 tons of semi-finished steel for the automotive industry every month.
“We plan to complete renovations by the end of December and resume work in January,” a company spokesman said.
Until then, Nippon Steel plans to increase production of similar steel products at its other plants, as well as ask other Japanese steel companies to provide their counterparts to reduce supply disruptions for customers, including automakers, the spokesman said.
He did not elaborate and declined to say what impact the suspension might have on the company's profits for the current fiscal year.
The typhoon in early September was one of the worst in eastern Japan in recent years, killing one woman and causing record winds and torrential rain that damaged buildings and disrupted transportation.
A company spokesperson added that another steel mill at Nippon Steel's western Hiroshima subsidiary, Kure Works, was also suspended due to a production fire.
