JFE Shoji Power Canada, the Canadian branch of JFE Holdings, is at the forefront of meeting the rising demand for electrical steel materials and components required for constructing a sustainable electrical energy future. Ron Harper, the President and CEO, highlights that JFE achieves this through cooperative efforts with strategic partners to remain ahead in the market. “I am very happy to announce that we are continuing to invest more in the machinery and people needed to continue to expand our production of electrical steel components for power and distribution transformers. By the end of 2023, new equipment will be installed that will increase our production capacity for distribution transformer core components by a minimum of 40%, and our production capacity of large power transformer core components by more than double, as compared to our early 2023 production rates”, Harper said.
The demand for electrical transformers has significantly increased and has become a topic of interest among industry and government officials in Canada and the USA. This increase is due to the construction of new renewable energy systems, the replacement of an aging grid infrastructure, the expansion of electric transportation, zero-emission vehicles, and other modern electric devices. However, this demand is placing a strain on the supply chain for materials and parts production equipment. Harper believes that we must take action now to decarbonize our energy systems and improve their efficiency for the benefit of the planet and future generations. “We have just launched a planning project with our strategic clients to assess how much further investment beyond what is currently planned is needed over the next few years,” Harper said. “It is JFE Shoji’s commitment to continue to serve the market and our strategic clients to support their growth objectives and plans.”
JFE has experienced a significant rise in demand for its residential distribution transformers and large power transformers. To keep up with the demand, the company’s engineering and production teams are diligently working on expanding their capacity at a faster pace. “We are placing a priority on the safety of our teams, while significantly increasing the level of process automation to build supply chain capacity, resiliency, and sustainability”, Harper said.
