Pan Pacific Copper (PPC), Japan’s leading copper miner expects its refined copper output to reach 295,500mt in the H1 2020-21 (April-September), down by 1.3pc from the prior year period. PPC is jointly owned by JX Nippon Mining & Metals and Mitsui Mining & Smelting. Ownership of smelters and refineries under the JV was restructured from April 1.PPC had produced 299,300mt of refined copper in H1 2019-20, and anticipates the output to reach 298,700mt in the H2 2019-20.
In H1 2020-21, PPC expects its Saganoseki and Hitachi smelters, owned by JX Nippon, to produce 198,100mt of refined copper, down by 0.95pc from the prior year period, while anticipated output for the H2 2020-21 to be 199,100mt. Remaining output of 97,400mt is expected from PPC’s Hibiki and Tamano plants owned by Mitsui.
PPC’s aggregate annual production capacity of refined copper totals 740,000mt with 450,000mt produced at Saganoseki Hitachi plants, and 290,000mt at the Hibi and Tamano plants.