Japan gov backs new Shin-Etsu rare earth refinery build amid China's export control
TOKYO - Japanese rare earth magnet manufacturer Shin-Etsu Chemical plans to build a new rare earth refining facility in Fukui prefecture in western Japan to strengthen its supply chain, a spokesperson said, amid China's export controls.
The move comes as China has restricted exports of several heavy rare earths and other materials to Japan for at least four months. The curbs coincide with a dispute between the two countries over Taiwan, suggesting Beijing is using its control over critical minerals as diplomatic leverage.
The new facility will be Shin-Etsu's first rare earth refining facility since 2008 and is aimed to reinforce supply chains and secure raw materials for its rare earth magnet business, the spokesperson said on Thursday.
The Japanese company has two rare earth refining facilities in Japan.
The Nikkei business daily first reported the plan, saying the total investment is expected to be at least 35-billion yen
($218-million).
The company spokesperson said the total investment amount has not yet been finalised, but confirmed that the project will receive a government subsidy of 17.5-billion yen.
Japan and Western governments have been seeking to diversify critical mineral supply chains away from China, the world's largest rare earths producer.
In May, Japan signed an agreement with Australia to strengthen cooperation on energy and critical minerals, while
public broadcaster NHK reported in April that Tokyo and Paris had agreed to bolster rare earth supply chains.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
The Steel Tube Export Association of South Africa was established to develop sustainable, internationally competitive carbon steel tube and pipe...
VISIT SHOWROOM
SmartMine IoT has been developed with the mining industry in mind, to provides our customers with powerful business intelligence and data modelling...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
