Tokyo, Dec 15, 2011 - (JCN Newswire) - Tanaka Holdings Co., Ltd. (a company of Tanaka Precious Metals) today announced that Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo Co., Ltd., which operates the Tanaka Precious Metals' manufacturing business will start operation of the Sodegaura Plant (Sodegaura-shi, Chiba Prefecture) for recovering and refining platinum group metals on January 5, 2012.
With a capital investment of \6.5 billion, the company will recover and refine platinum group metals (platinum, palladium and rhodium) that are contained in spent automotive exhaust purification catalysts. Until now, the company has been recovering and refining platinum group metals only at the Ichikawa Plant (Ichikawa-shi, Chiba Prefecture), but by establishing a two-plant system with the addition of the Sodegaura Plant, it will be able to enhance its BCP (business continuity plan) for emergencies such as natural disasters and damage to social infrastructure with regard to the supply chain for platinum group metals.
The main raw materials used in automotive catalysts are rare platinum group metals, which are produced in small quantities, and recovering platinum group metals from spent automotive catalysts for recycling is important for the establishment of a recycling-based society. In particular, 7.3 tons (approx. 30%) of the 27.1 tons of global annual demand is accounted for by recovery from spent automotive catalysts, and as 22.5 tons (approx. 80%) is demand for use in automotive catalysts(*1), it is the precious metal playing the vital role in determining trends within the automotive industry. Because Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo currently supplies rhodium refined in the Ichikawa Plant to various Japanese motor vehicle manufacturers, a decision was made to start operation of the Sodegaura Plant based on the determination that further reinforcement of BCP is required in the supply chain after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
It is believed that approximately 2,700 tons of spent automotive catalyst is produced worldwide each month. In particular, this amount is expected to grow to 3,700 tons by 2014 primarily because of the increase in spent automotive exhaust purification catalyst in Europe that has been occurring since around 2010(*2). For some time, Tanaka Precious Metals has been collecting spent automotive catalyst mainly in Europe, the United States and Asia, also considers the future expansion of platinum group recovery and refinement lines according to the conditions faced.
The Great East Japan Earthquake caused instability in the supply chain of automotive parts, resulting in a significant decline in production activities in the domestic automotive industry. As the importance of risk management for emergencies of a company is increasing after the earthquake, Tanaka Precious Metals has been engaging on comprehensive BCP measures. The start of operation of the Sodegaura Plant will contribute to the enhancing of BCP of the Japanese automotive industry by ensuring a stable supply to automotive catalyst manufacturers in Japan.
Company release:
http://pdf.japancorp.net/english/clientreports/4294/1215_EN.pdf
Overview of the Sodegaura Plant
Address: Sodegaura-shi, Chiba
Investment: 6.5 billion yen
Site area: 22,180m2 (2,500m2 to be used immediately)
Area of business: Recovery and refinement of platinum group metals (platinum, palladium and rhodium)
*1: Figures for 2010 (Source: Platinum 2011 published by Johnson Matthey)
*2: In recent years, automotive exhaust gas emission regulations have been enhanced in various countries, resulting in a worldwide increase in the ratio of vehicles utilizing automotive exhaust gas purification catalysts. In particular, due to the full-scale start of installation of automotive exhaust purification catalysts in Europe in 1995, the production of spent automotive exhaust gas purification catalysts has been increasing since around 2010.
Tanaka Holdings Co., Ltd. (Holding company of Tanaka Precious Metals)
Headquarters: 22F, Tokyo Building, 2-7-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Hideya Okamoto, President & CEO
Founded: 1885
Incorporated: 1918
Capital: 500 million yen
Employees in consolidated group: 3,456 (FY2010)
Net sales of consolidated group: 891.0 billion yen (FY2010)
Main businesses of the group: Manufacture, sales, import and export of precious metals (platinum, gold, silver, and others) and various types of industrial precious metals products. Recycling and refining of precious metals.
Website: http://www.tanaka.co.jp
Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.
Headquarters: 22F, Tokyo Building, 2-7-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Hideya Okamoto, President & CEO
Founded: 1885
Incorporated: 1918
Capital: 500 million yen
Employees: 1,532 (FY2010)
Sales: 865.4 billion yen (FY2010)
Businesses: Manufacture, sales, import and export of precious metals (platinum, gold, silver, and others) and various types of industrial precious metals products. Recycling and refining of precious metals.
Website: http://pro.tanaka.co.jp
About the Tanaka Precious Metals
Established in 1885, the Tanaka Precious Metals has built a diversified range of business activities focused on the use of precious metals. On April 1, 2010, the group was reorganized with Tanaka Holdings Co., Ltd. as the holding company (parent company) of the Tanaka Precious Metals. In addition to strengthening corporate governance, the company aims to improve overall service to customers by ensuring efficient management and dynamic execution of operations. Tanaka Precious Metals is committed, as a specialist corporate entity, to providing a diverse range of products through cooperation among group companies.
Tanaka Precious Metals is in the top class in Japan in terms of the volume of precious metal handled, and for many years the group has developed and stably supplied industrial precious metals, in addition to providing accessories and savings commodities utilizing precious metals. As precious metal professionals, the Group will continue to contribute to enriching people's lives in the future.
The eight core companies in the Tanaka Precious Metals are as follows.
- Tanaka Holdings Co., Ltd. (pure holding company)
- Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.
- Tanaka Kikinzoku Hanbai K.K.
- Tanaka Kikinzoku International K.K.
- Tanaka Denshi Kogyo K.K.
- Electroplating Engineers of Japan, Limited
- Tanaka Kikinzoku Jewelry K.K.
- Tanaka Kikinzoku Business Service K.K.
Press inquiries
Global Sales Dept., Tanaka Kikinzoku International K.K. (TKI)
e-mail: tki-contact (at) ml.tanaka.co.jp
Dec 15, 2011
From the Japan Corporate News Network
http://www.japancorp.net
Topic: Press release summary
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