Jun. 02, 2022
Nippon Steel Corporation
Nippon Steel Corporation ("Nippon Steel") is pleased to announce that we
have begun offering a 30-year service life warranty program for ZEXEED™, the company's high
corrosion resistant coated steel (such warranty program, the "Warranty Program") (*1), in
relation to perforation caused by corrosion in products that satisfy certain requirements.
ZEXEED™, released in October 2021, is a coated steel sheet with superior corrosion resistance that
far exceeds that of post-plating, which is commonly used in the civil engineering and social
infrastructure sectors. It also exceeds that of Nippon Steel's conventional high corrosion resistant
coated steel sheets and hot-dip galvanized steel. Tests conducted by Nippon Steel, using flat portions and
the same plating amount, confirmed that ZEXEED's corrosion resistance is about twice as high as that of
conventional high corrosion resistance steel and about 10 times higher than that of hot-dip galvanized
steel.
Nippon Steel is currently receiving many inquiries about ZEXEED™ from customers interested in using
it for their international photovoltaic projects. In order to achieve carbon offsetting by 2050, many
countries are accelerating their transitions to renewable energies, rapidly increasing the number of
photovoltaic projects in particular. However, available areas with suitable mild natural environments for
solar panel installation are becoming rare, and as a result such installations are being made increasingly
in harsher corrosive environments, such as coastal areas. Due to this, there is a growing need for high
corrosion resistant coated steel sheets with a guaranteed service lifespan that is equivalent to the
lifespan of solar panels (approx. 25 years) as a material for solar panel mounts to be installed in harsh
corrosive environments in photovoltaic projects.
In response to this growing need, Nippon Steel will launch the Warranty Program in June 2022 for products
with coating adhesion of 300 g/m2 on both sides, based on the company’s conclusion that it is able
to offer such a warranty for ZEXEED™, even if it is used in harsh environments classified as C5
under the corrosivity classification system of ISO 9223 (*2), as long as certain requirements are met.
(*3)
Nippon Steel will continuously work to extend service life of infrastructure and promote renewable
energies in harsh environments by delivering ZEXEED™ to a wide range of customers.
(*1) The warranty applies only to perforation caused by corrosion (cases where perforation that
penetrates products attributable to their properties and corrosion occurs in normal external
environments). The warranty is subject to various other conditions set forth separately. The warranty does
not necessarily apply to all ZEXEED™ products. The Warranty Program applies only to ZEXEED™
products specified under warranty agreements executed between Nippon Steel and trading companies
designated by Nippon Steel (such ZEXEED™ products, the "Target Products"; such warranty
agreements, the "Warranty Agreements"; and such designated trading companies, the
"Designated Trading Companies"), and only Target Products that satisfy the requirements
stipulated in the Warranty Agreements are subject to the warranty described herein.
(*2) This is a classification system for corrosive environments that is widely recognized and
utilized internationally. Under this system, corrosive environments are classified into six categories
ranging from C1 (very low corrosivity) to CX (extreme corrosivity). The Warranty Program will only apply
to corrosion perforation that occurs in products that are used in environments classified as C1 to C5
(very high corrosivity) and satisfy other warranty requirements.
(*3) This press release provides an overview of the warranty service offered by Nippon Steel in
relation to ZEXEED™. The specific terms and conditions of the warranty will be stipulated in
Warranty Agreements executed between Nippon Steel and Designated Trading Companies. The warranty service
will be provided by Nippon Steel to Designated Trading Companies as per the Warranty Agreements. No
warranty is provided under this press release.
