Mitsui Mining & Smelting Establishes Auto Catalyst Plant in China

Mitsui Mining & Smelting announced on Tuesday the firm established a new subsidiary to produce and sell automotive exhaust catalyst in Zhuhai City of China in September. The subsidiary will start commercial operation in October 2007 with 4 million units of annual output capacity. Mitsui Mining & Smelting aims to lead the subsidiary into full operation toward 2010 on basic order reception from Japanese motorcycle makers and sales cultivation for Chinese local users. In China the control of automotive exhaust gas is scheduled to be strengthened in 2008.Mitsui Mining & Smelting will build the plant in Nanping Technology Industry Garden of Guangdong Province, China with 3,200 square meters of floor space on 11,000 square meters of land. The construction will start in January 2007. Mitsui Mining & Smelting has another subsidiary in Nanping Technology Industry Garden, Mitsui Copper Foil (Guangdong) to produce copper foil. The firm utilizes idle land of the subsidiary for the new plant of automotive catalyst. Capital of the new subsidiary is US$ 3.5 million, wholly owned by Mitsui Mining & Smelting. The number of employee will be 50 at the beginning.Automotive exhaust catalyst helps cleanup of nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide in automotive gas emissions, which is a honeycomb-shaped stainless steel, alloyed aluminium or ceramic coated by catalyst materials such as precious metals. The parts are carried into exhaust pipes of engines.