Posted on 19 Jan 2011
Xingtai Iron & Steel (Xinggang), a specialized wire rod maker in northern China's Hebei province, is considering making its first foray into the production of ultra fine steel wire for cutting silicon wafers, a company official tells Steel Business Briefing.
The official refuses to disclose the planned capacity for the wire project, which is likely to be located in Xingtai city's High-tech Industrial Development Zone, about 30-40 kilometres away from the company's current base in Xingtai city's urban core.
Another company source says that the project is still at the planning stage, and many details are not yet available; but the company has a strong interest in this product, as it is considered to be high-value wire.
As SBB has reported, more domestic wire makers began to invest in facilities to making such high-grade wire last year, in order to benefit from the development of China's solar power industry. The new capacities being added include 15,000 tonnes/year from Hengxing Science & Technology Co. in central China's Henan province and 3,000 t/y from Hubei Fuxing Science & Technology Co, both announced in 2010.
Xinggang currently has 3m t/y of crude steel capacity and 3m/y of wire rod capacity. It has already made investments in downstream processing including welded wire mesh and refined wire.
