SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Ternium Mexico SA de CV expects to reach full capacity at its Tenigal hot-dipped galvanized mill in Pesquería, in Mexico’s Nuevo León state, in 2015.

"The ramp-up will take more time than a commercial line ... and will demand time to gain local market share, as we will be replacing imports," Ternium chief executive officer Daniel Novegil said Feb. 20 during a call for investors and analysts.

The plant, a joint venture with Japan’s Nippon Steel Corp., is designed to produce 400,000 tonnes per year of high-grade galvanized and galvannealed steel sheet for the automotive industry.

Ternium has been in talks with automakers in preparation of the qualification procedures for its products.

Tenigal’s start-up is expected in June 2013, while its commercial operation is slated to begin in August, Novegil said.

Ternium’s 1.5-million-tonne-per-year cold-rolling mill in Nuevo León is also scheduled to come on-stream in August 2013, with commercial output due in October, he added.

The facility will also supply high-end products to meet demand from the automotive sector.

A version of this story was first published by AMM sister publication Steel First.