OREANDA-NEWS. February 21, 2011. Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Metals) achieved the cumulative total shipment of steel plates of 5 million tons to Hyundai Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd. (head office in Ulsan, South Korea; President & CEO Dr. Lee Jae-seong ЃgHyundai HeavyЃh), the worldЃfs largest shipbuilder. Sumitomo Metals began shipment of steel plates for shipbuilding to Hyundai Heavy in 1972. The company then began shipment of high-end steel plates for marine structures in 1984 and has since supplied approximately 0.5 million tons of the kind (included in HyundaiЃfs 5 million tons.)

On the same date, JapanЃfs first RORO ship* designed specifically for transportation of steel plates was launched for service between Sumitomo MetalsЃf Kashima Steel Works and the Ulsan Shipyard of Hyundai Heavy. The RORO ship will improve transportation efficiency compared to conventional ships that use cranes to load and unload cargo. Sumitomo Metals will strengthen business relationships with Hyundai Heavy, with this launch of service by the RORO ship designed and constructed by Hyundai Heavy, specifically for Kashima Port.

  1. RORO ship designed specifically for transportation of steel plates
  (1)Shipbuilder : Hyundai Heavy Industries
  (2)Ship owner : Ilshin Marine Transport Co., Ltd.
  (3)Name of ship : Ilshin Polaris Royal
  (4)Specification : Total length of 142m, total width of 26.6m, 13,000 gross tonsЃ@
  (5)Load capacity : Approximately 5,500 tons
  The ship is planned to make 50 round trips per year and to transport approximately 70% of steel plates that Sumitomo Metals supplies to Hyundai Heavy.
     
2. Commemoration ceremony
  (1)Time and date ЃF From 14:30 p.m. to 16:30 p.m. on Friday, February 18, 2011
  (2)Place ЃF Kashima Steel Works
  (3)Attendees ЃF 24 including
      Dr. Lee (President & CEO), Mr. Kim (Vice President) of Hyundai Heavy;
      Mr. Kato (President & CEO), Mr. Arai (Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer) of Sumitomo Corporation;
      Tomono (President), Hombe (Executive Vice President), Miki and Okuda (Senior Managing Executive Officers), Yanagawa and Shimizu (Managing Executive Officers) of Sumitomo Metals

* RORO Ships
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels, similar to ferries which do not use a crane to load and unload cargo. The new RORO ship is designed to use a specifically designed bogie with cassette to load steel plates. It also has a built-in ramp at the height of the quay in Kashima port, which allows the cargo to be efficiently "rolled on" and "rolled off" from the ship when in port.