The invention provides steel for the lower plate of a cargo oil tankof a tanker, which belongs to the technical field of ship plate steel. The steel comprises, by mass, 0.01 to 0.3% of C, 0.02 to 2% of Si, 0.1 to 2.0% of Mn, no more than 0.01% of S, no more than 0. 02% of P, 0.05 to 2.0% of Ni, 0.05 to 2.0% of Cu, 0.005 to 1.0% of Cr, 0.0005 to 0.3% of Se, 0.0005 to 0.3% of Ge, with the balance being Fe; preferably, (Cu + Ni + Cr)/S is 200 to 480. The steel can also comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of 0.0005 to 0.3% of Sn, 0.0005 to 0.3% of Sb and 0.0005 to 0.3% of Te, and/or one or more selected from the group consisting of 0. 0005 to 0.3% of W, 0.0005 to 0.3% of Mo, 0.0005 to 0.3% of Co and 0.0005 to 0.3% of REM, and/or one or more selected from the group consisting of 0.0001 to 0.2% of Ca, 0.0001 to 0.2% of Mg, 0.0001 to 0.2% of Sr and 0.0001 to 0.2% of Ba. The steel has the advantages of excellent local corrosion resistance under the conditions of a high concentration of Cl<-> and a high acidity and effective prolongation of the service life of a steel plate when the steel plate is coated by a protective layer or is exposed.