Japan Smelters to Increase Electrolytic Lead Output in 1H

Japanese nonferrous metal smelters plan to increase electrolytic lead ingot production in the first half of fiscal 2007 starting April. Mitsubishi Materials announced on Monday the firm plans to increase its electrolytic lead output by 14.8% to 9,180 tonnes in 1H from the same period of fiscal 2006. Mitsui Mining & Smelting also plans to increase its electrolytic lead output by 8.9% to 31,900 tonnes in 1H from a year earlier. Domestic lead smelters have been suffered from little collection of automotive battery scrap, one of main materials for electrolytic lead. Mitsubishi Materials source said they are trying to secure more lead battery scrap by their own efforts.Mitsubishi Materials produces electrolytic lead ingot mainly from auto battery scrap at its 100% subsidiary, Hosokura Metal Mining in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Lead output at the subsidiary decreased by 11% to 7,998 tonnes in 1H of fiscal 2006 from the same period of fiscal 2005 due to outflow of battery scrap mainly for Vietnam. The output continued to decrease to 7,290 tonnes in 2H of fiscal 2006. The output recovers to above 9,000 tonnes for the first time since 2H of fiscal 2005.As to electrolytic copper ingot, Mitsubishi Materials plans output of 153,936 tonnes in 1H of fiscal 2007. The output decreases by 11.9% from the same period of fiscal 2006 due to regular maintenance from mid May to mid June in Naoshima Smelter & Refinery in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.Sumitomo Metal Mining (SMM) plans electrolytic nickel output of 14,500 tonnes in 1H of fiscal 2007, down by 11% from a year earlier due to tight material supply. On the other hand, the ferronickel output is planned to increase by 0.4% to 11,200 tonnes in 1H of fiscal 2007 from a year ago when domestic stainless steel demand keeps steady.SMM plans electrolytic copper output of 211,000 tonnes in 1H of fiscal 2007, up by 14.4% from a year earlier because SMM completed output expansion to 410,000 tonnes per annum at Toyo Smelter & Refinery in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. SMM’s zinc ingot output will decrease by 1.5% to 38,900 tonnes in 1H of fiscal 2007 from a year ago when SMM plans large furnace maintenance at Harima Smelter in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan for March 14-April 25.