Dowa Group Strengthens Recycling Business in Northern Japan

Dowa Holdings announced on Tuesday a new plant to recycle precious metals completed in Kosaka region, Akita Prefecture, Japan and starts operation on 21 November. Dowa Eco-System, one of core companies of Dowa Holdings, holds a majority in the new plant. Dowa Eco-System now operates 3 precious metal recycling plants in Japan, one is located in Honjo City of Saitama Prefecture and another in Okayama City of Okayama Prefecture. Dowa Group will strengthen the metal recycling business in the northern area of Akita Prefecture with the new plant.The new plant in Kosaka is controlled by Ecosystem Recycling, a recycling company in which Dowa Eco-System holds 92% shares and Dowa Hightech 8%. The plant will collect precious metals from plating effluents and scrapped electronic appliances. The plant has a clean room where a precision cleaning process is possible for semiconductor productive equipment. Precious metals will be pre-recycled at the new plant and sent to a new smelting furnace at Kosaka Smelting & Refining which can utilize recycled metals as smelting materials.Ecosystem Recycling posted annual revenue of above 10 billion yen in fiscal 2006 ended March 2007. The firm collects gold at 3 tonnes per annum, silver at 100 tonnes per annum and platinum at 200 kilogram per annum at Honjo and Okayama plants. Collection volume of precious metals at the third plant will rely on the scrap collection amount.Dowa group also established an automobile recycling company in Akita Prefecture in January 2007 to collect and recycle iron, nonferrous metals and rare metals from auto scrap.