NKK Corporation announced today that it has received an order from China's Fuchunjiang Hydropower Equipment Works (FHEW), a fabricator in Zhejiang province, to supply 1,000 tons of stainless-clad steel plates for conduit pipes to be used in the Three Gorges Dam hydroelectric power plant project. Received through NKK Trading Inc., this marks the third consecutive sole order for NKK, following the first received in July 1998 for 13,000 tons of high-grade steel plates for spiral casings (aqueducts), and the second received in November 1998 for 4,000 tons of steel plates for penstock applications in the same project.

   FHEW, which had been awarded part of the Three Gorges Dam construction project by its principal developer, China Yangtze Three Gorges Project Development Corporation, recently called an international bid for 1,000 tons of stainless-clad steel plates for use in the dam's conduit pipe sections. FHEW selected NKK as the sole supplier over several other mills from China, Japan and Europe, in recognition of NKK's extensive supply record of hot-rolled clad steel plates.

   The dam's conduit pipes require highly wear-resistant material, such as stainless steel, to withstand enormous-speed water flows containing voluminous mud and sand. In the latest materials selection, NKK presented to the Chinese client its numerous operational data accumulated over years through designing and constructing dams in Japan, along with original data concerning properties and performances of its stainless-clad steel plates used in discharge pipes in the domestic dam projects. As a result, the NKK-recommended specifications were highly regarded and adopted. This is the first time China has procured clad steel materials from overseas for the Three Gorges Dam project, although in the past China used domestic products manufactured through an explosive bonding process.

   NKK has enjoyed wide market acceptance both at home and overseas as a top-ranked supplier of hot-rolled clad steel products. The heavy plate rolling mill at the Fukuyama Works, which features the ultra-large reduction load, enables excellent bonding of base carbon steel and cladding material, producing ultra-wide, ultra-long hot-rolled clad steel plates. These plates reduce welding costs for users, while shortening fabrication and construction periods. Due to these advantages, the clad steel plates have been employed in a wide range of applications, including petroleum refining, power generation, and paper manufacturing plants, food storage tanks as well as chemical tankers.

   The Three Gorges Dam project on the Yangtze River is well underway near Yichang, Hubei province. Scheduled for completion in 2009, it will be the world's largest hydroelectric power plant with 26 power stations. The plant will generate 18.2 million kilowatts, equal to about 9% of China's power demand, being the largest such project of this century in the world.