Material Flows
Our business model integrates the three businesses of “Mineral Resources,” “Smelting & Refining,” and “Materials,” to handle everything from securing ore through to manufacturing products that contribute to a low carbon society and recycling. This diagram illustrates the flow of materials within our business model.
Copper mines
Possess several superior mine interests operated by major overseas mineral resource companies, to maintain a stable supply of copper resources that cannot be obtained in Japan
Copper mines in which SMM possesses an interest: U.S.A./Australia/Chile/Peru
Gold mines
Operate Hishikari Mine, Japan’s only commercial-scale gold production mine
Gold mines in which SMM possesses an interest: Japan/Canada
Other copper mines
Approximately 50% to 60% of the copper concentrates used in our copper smelting and refining are procured from our own mines in which we hold interests. The remaining required amounts are procured stably from mines owned by business partners.
Nickel ore
Suppliers: Philippines
Nickel ore
Nickel matte
(Intermediate materials)
Suppliers: Indonesia/New Caledonia
Copper smelting and refining
Process copper concentrates and gold ore at the Toyo Smelter & Refinery, which boasts top-class production capacities among single furnaces and delivers outstanding cost competitiveness. This facility is the cornerstone for our realization of a circular economy centered on smelting
Smelters & refineries: Japan
Toyo Smelter & Refinery
Sulfuric acid
Recover sulfurous acid gas generated during copper concentrate processing as sulfuric acid and effectively utilize this at HPAL facility in the Philippines
Nickel smelting and refining (HPAL)
Utilize SMM’s HPAL technology, which was first successfully commercialized by SMM to process previously unusable low-grade oxide ores and produce intermediate products
Sulfur
Effectively utilize sulfur produced in nickel smelting and refining in Japan at the HPAL facility in the Philippines
Nickel smelting and refining
Refine intermediate products from the HPAL facility in the Philippines using the cost-competitive MCLE technology and produce 99.9% purity nickel. Promote process conversion at the ferronickel production site to produce nickel mattes (intermediate product) that can be utilized as raw material for electrolytic nickel
Smelters & refineries: Japan
Battery materials, Advanced materials
Produce products contributing to low carbon society such as battery materials and advanced materials leveraging SMM’s expertise in metals and core technologies. Contribute to the realization of a carbon neutral society through R&D on and production of low-carbon products
Plants Battery materials: Japan/Vietnam
Advanced materials: Japan/ China/Taiwan
Procurement of Secondary Raw Materials
The SMM Group engages in various recycling activities, including re-smelting and refining secondary raw materials such as copper scrap, as well as extracting precious metals from scrap sources such as semiconductor components. Furthermore, we promote battery recycling involving recovery of metals from used secondary batteries for automobiles and reuse these as battery materials. We have concluded partnership agreements with multiple companies both in Japan and overseas and are contributing to the formation of a sustainable circular society both within the Company and encompassing the entire supply chain. We will continue to engage in various recycling initiatives and actively contribute to the realization of a circular economy.
