Company Announcement - ITRI, the international tin industry association, has collaborated with Camborne School of Mines, UK, and local agencies to help produce and launch a comprehensive ‘Perak Mining Blueprint’ for the State of Perak, Malaysia. The blueprint has identified key value added minerals in Perak which expected to contribute significantly to the development of the state and its economy such as limestone, granite, construction sand, silica sand, silica rock, kaolin, clay and earth material, sericite, including tin.

One of the initiatives is to revive and spur development of new tin mining as well as upstream and downstream industries in Perak, boosting the state economy especially via the concept of a new “Tin Valley”. The blueprint was launched on the 30th April by Rt. Hon. Chief Minister of Perak, Dr Zambry Abd. Kadir. State investment agency, Menteri Besar Incorporated (MB Inc.) is coordinating the project. ITRI was chosen to be part of the technical collaboration for this project as it is the world’s foremost authority on the tin industry, including research and development, and a promoter of new sustainable tin initiatives. Through the development of the blueprint, ITRI has comprehensively reviewed the status of tin R&D in Malaysia including Perak and found 110 projects, which are already active, in 22 universities over the last three years.

There is a strong focus on new tin uses, especially energy uses such as lithium ion and solar cell materials, strongly aligned with Malaysia’s technology growth areas. Increasing support for this work can provide a strong innovation focus for the Tin Valley project. An ITRI survey of tin downstream industries in solders, tinplate, chemicals and alloys identified all of the major companies and industry organisations represented in Malaysia including Perak. Key trends and drivers were analysed and aligned to the global picture, resulting in a set of recommendations on how Perak could exploit opportunities to attract domestic and foreign investment from industry to build Tin Valley.
“We are delighted that the ‘Perak Mining Blueprint’ has been launched and we are looking forward to the next step, which will be to build a virtual Tin Valley;” comments Dr. Jeremy Pearce.

“Among the research is the concept of integrated development, which will be introduced as the Tin Valley, comprising  research and processing of tin ore, analysis lab and a new township to house miners” said Dato’ Aminudin Hashim, CEO of MB Inc. The ‘Perak Mining Blueprint’ outlines the full plan for the project, which ultimately aims to build a physical ‘Tin Valley’ in Perak and be a centre of excellence for the sustainable mining and exploitation of tin.