Japan's Toho Titanium Industry resumes sponge titanium production

On June 14, Japanese producer Toho Titanium closed its Chigasaki plant near Tokyo after an explosion earlier this month, and the plant has now resumed full operations.

A company representative said in an interview with Argus that the June 9 explosion caused partial damage to the factory that produces 9600 tons of titanium sponge per year, but it had been completely repaired by June 14.

The representative said the plant was operating at almost full capacity, adding that there would be no impact on production or transportation because damage to the production line was "very limited." The company said sales offset some of its inventory.

The company did not disclose the cause of the explosion, but the explosion occurred at a titanium sponge factory. The company also produces polyolefin catalysts at the Chigasaki plant.

The company said that global aerospace and defense applications demand for titanium sponge in 2024 will be approximately 79,000 tons, and is expected to increase to approximately 90,000 tons by 2028 and to 102,000 tons by 2031.