Mega Quake Damages Nonferrous Metals Operations

Japanese nonferrous metals industry unveiled damage from Tohoku Pacific Earthquake on Monday. Many plants in Pacific coastal area of Tohoku and Kanto keep stopping the operations due to damage on plant facilities and infrastructures including power, gas and water supply. Other makers with small damage also cannot resume the operation to save power consumption when Japanese major power company started controlled blackout.

Mitsui Mining & Smelting announced on Sunday the damage at Hachinohe zinc smelter. The smelter cannot resume the operation due to unavailability of power supply without immediate plan to restart the operation when the firm has to check the exact damage. The firm confirmed no damage on other plants.

Mitsubishi Materials announced on Sunday the firm stopped operation at Akita zinc smelter, Tsukuba and Iwaki cemented carbide tool plants, lead plant in Miyagi and Onahama copper smelter due to unavailability of power and water and damage on facilities.

JX Holdings announced on Monday the firm stops plants in Tohoku and Kanto with no immediate plan to restart due to damage from the quake. The has major operations of electrolytic copper, electrolytic copper foil and recycling plants in Hitachi area and Isohara sputtering target materials plant.

SUMCO Corporation announced on Monday the firm stops Yonezawa plant after the quake. The plant checks the damage and infrastructure availability to restart the operations while the other plants try to cover the production loss to keep supply. Kobe Steel announced on Monday the aluminium flat products making Moka plant stops the operation without immediate production recovery after the quake.