Sojitz to Double Captive Coal under New 3-Year Plan

Sojitz Corporation’s energy and mineral resources division tries to double the coal interests to annual 7.5 million tonnes under the 3-year plan to fiscal 2008 ending March 2009. The division plans 160 billion yen of investment and loan including 30 billion yen for coal resources. The division tries to expand the captive resources base including ferroalloy and alumina while the division seeks new resources and other projects for next growth. The division tries to increase the profit from investment and loan to 45% of total profit from current 30% by expanding investment. The division increases the investment and loan by 30% to 20 billion yen for metals and coal resources unit for fiscal 2006 from fiscal 2005, mainly for Australian coal mines. The unit plans more than 30 billion yen of investment and loan for coal resources in next 3 years while the unit plans 10 billion yen each for ferroalloy and nonferrous resources. The unit tries to develop coal mines in Australia and Russia while the unit expands interests in alumina and trading of vanadium and molybdenum. The division’s metals and coal resources unit posted 22% higher recurring profit at 13.9 billion yen for fiscal 2005 from fiscal 2004 thanks to higher price of molybdenum and vanadium. The unit expects the profit decreases to 8.5 billion yen for fiscal 2006 due to lower coal price mainly for pulverized coal injection coal along with price drop for ferroalloy. The unit estimates the profit decreases from fiscal 2005 to 10.3 billion yen for fiscal 2008 under conservative outlook for minerals’ prices.