Annual production capacity at the Iwaki Plant was 560,000 engines. Click to enlarge.
Nissan says that about 1,300 Infiniti vehicles were damaged in port in Japan due to the earthquake and tsunami. However, this equates to a few days’ supply for the luxury brand, which is heavily dependent on Japanese imports for all of its premium vehicles except the Q56.
Infiniti keeps about 20,000 vehicles in inventory in the U.S., so this loss is expected to be made up over the next several months as Japanese production resumes. The longer term outlook is unknown.
Nissan says restoration is expected to “take longer than at other plants.”
Aftershocks are still occurring in northeastern Japan, and Nissan says Iwaki restoration is expected to “take longer than at other plants.”
Japanese officials say they have concerns about the condition of the spent nuclear fuel pool at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 and Unit 4. Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said Wednesday that Special Defense Forces helicopters planned to drop water onto Unit 3.
They are also preparing to spray water into Unit 4 from the ground positions, and possibly later into Unit 3. Debris on the ground from the March 14 explosion at Unit 3 may need to be removed before the spraying can begin.
All Nissan plants in Japan, except for Iwaki, have been able to repair some damaged facilities and equipment. However, Nissan says it is still taking time to arrange delivery of parts from suppliers, and that some production is planned to resume starting tomorrow and into next week – as long as parts inventories last.
“Recovery in Japan will be very difficult and will take some time to accomplish after a disaster of this magnitude,” said Carlos Tavares, chairman, Nissan Americas. “Nissan wants to do our part to immediately help the citizens of Japan during their time of critical need.”
Including the $1 million (¥80 million) in relief funds to the American Red Cross pledged by Nissan Americas, Nissan’s global contributions will reach more than $3.75 million in cash and in-kind contributions to support earthquake relief efforts. This includes global and regional corporate donations, employee gift matching, as well as the provision of 50 vehicles to support aid agencies in the affected areas of Japan.
All Nissan Americas manufacturing facilities remain open and will continue to operate on a planned production schedule until further notice.
