Mitsui Kinzoku earmarks RM1.18b for land, buildings in Malaysian copper foil plant expansion
Japan's Mitsui Kinzoku Co Ltd has approved a ¥46 billion (RM1.18 billion) budget for land and buildings as part of its ¥190 billion (RM4.87 billion) Malaysian copper foil plant. The plant, located near its existing Shah Alam subsidiary, will add significant capacity for MicroThin and VSP copper foil
PETALING JAYA (Nov 13): Japan's Mitsui Kinzoku Co Ltd has earmarked about ¥46 billion (RM1.18 billion) for land and buildings under its planned ¥190 billion (about RM4.87 billion) Malaysian copper foil plant, with the proposed site offering room for further production expansion.
In an announcement on Tuesday (Nov 10), the company said its board had approved the plant and acquisition of related fixed assets. The budget comprises about ¥14 billion for land, ¥32 billion for buildings and ¥144 billion for production equipment and other assets. Operations are scheduled to begin in phases from April 2031.
The plant will be located near its subsidiary, Mitsui Copper Foil (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. The subsidiary's website lists its existing operation at Persiaran Kuala Langat in Section 27, Shah Alam. The announcement did not identify the new site's exact address, land area, seller or tenure.
Mitsui Kinzoku said the investment would support a stable supply of copper foil amid anticipated growth in the artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor markets. It will be financed through cash on hand, borrowings and other sources.
The new plant is planned to add monthly production capacity of four million sq m (about 43.06 million sq ft) of MicroThin ultra-thin copper foil and 1,200 tonnes of VSP copper foil over three financial years through FY2033. MicroThin capacity will increase by two million sq m (about 21.53 million sq ft) a month in each of FY2031 and FY2033. VSP capacity will increase by 600 tonnes a month in each of FY2031 and FY2032.
The additions would bring group-wide monthly capacity to 12 million sq m (about 129.17 million sq ft) for MicroThin and 2,600 tonnes for VSP. The proposed site can accommodate VSP capacity of up to 3,600 tonnes a month. Depending on market growth, the company would also consider establishing combined monthly VSP capacity of 5,000 tonnes across the new site and its other locations.
Mitsui Kinzoku first outlined plans to acquire land near its Malaysian operation on Aug 17. The November announcement sets out the board's approval and investment breakdown. Mitsui Copper Foil (Malaysia) was established in April 1989 and began commercial operations in 1991, according to the subsidiary's website. Its operations have expanded in stages, with commercial production at Plant 2 starting in 2011, mass production of MicroThin beginning in 2015 and VSP production commencing in 2025. The subsidiary employed 852 people as at June 30, 2025.
