TANAKA and MEP to Establish "TANAKA MEP REFINERY SDN. BHD." a Precious Metal Refining Joint Venture in Malaysia

TOKYO, Oct 21, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL TECHNOLOGIES Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Koichiro Tanaka), a company engaged in the industrial precious metals business of TANAKA, announced that it will establish TANAKA MEP REFINERY SDN. BHD., a joint venture company that will engage in precious metal recycling and refining, with Malaysia-based resource recovery company MEP Enviro Technology Sdn. Bhd. (MEP).

The new company will be established in Batu Kawan Industrial Park in Penang, Malaysia, with TANAKA’s holding a 66.7% stake and MEP holding a 33.3% stake. Its business activities will include the analysis of recovered materials, precious metal refining to a purity of 4N (99.99%), and the manufacture, import, export, and sale of precious metal products. The facility is scheduled to begin operations in April 2029.

On October 8, 2026, a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new facility was held at the planned construction site. In addition to representatives from TANAKA and MEP, the ceremony was attended by distinguished guests including Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Ramli bin Ngah Talib, Governor of Penang; YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang; Shinya Machida, Consul-General of Japan in Penang, and other state government officials.

Business of TANAKA MEP REFINERY SDN. BHD.

With a concentration of semiconductor, electronic component, and other manufacturing industries in Malaysia and across the ASEAN region, demand is growing for the recovery and recycling of precious metal-containing scrap generated during manufacturing processes. At the same time, amid increasingly stringent environmental regulations and a growing focus on circular resource use, waste such as end-of-life electronic equipment (e-waste) is expected to be properly processed and recycled within the countries and regions where it is generated. Global companies are also pursuing initiatives to support a circular economy, further increasing the importance of recovering and reusing resources containing precious metals.

TANAKA and MEP entered into a technical assistance agreement for precious metal recovery in August 2024 and have since worked together to advance precious metal recycling in Malaysia. TANAKA MEP REFINERY SDN. BHD. will receive recovered materials preprocessed by MEP and carry out precious metal analysis and refining; manufacture, import, export, and sell precious metal products; and trade, lease, and store precious metal bullion. In the initial stage of operations, the company plans to produce gold with a purity of 4N (99.99%) and potassium gold cyanide (PGC) for the electrical and electronics (E&E) and semiconductor industries.

By combining TANAKA’s long-standing expertise in precious metal refining and processing with its know-how in quality control, production management, and other areas, the companies will establish an integrated framework for precious metal recycling within Malaysia.

To make effective use of finite precious metal resources and contribute to a circular economy and stable precious metal procurement, TANAKA has been developing a global precious metal recycling network, with recovery and refining facilities in Japan, Europe, North America, China, Taiwan, and other regions. The establishment of the new company in Malaysia will further strengthen TANAKA’s precious metal recycling operations in the ASEAN region.

Overview of the New Company
Company Name: TANAKA MEP REFINERY SDN. BHD.
Location: Batu Kawan Industrial Park, Penang, Malaysia
Shareholding: TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL TECHNOLOGIES Co., Ltd. 66.7%; MEP Enviro Technology Sdn. Bhd. 33.3%
Business Activities: Analysis of recovered materials; precious metal refining; manufacture, import, export, and sale of precious metal products; trading and leasing of precious metal bullion, among other activities
Start of Facility Operations: Scheduled for April 2029

Photo from the Groundbreaking Ceremony

About MEP Enviro Technology Sdn. Bhd.
Company Name: MEP Enviro Technology Sdn. Bhd. (MEPSB)
Founded: 2005
Representative: Sean Ong
Sales: RM243.5 million (consolidated, fiscal year ended December 2025)*
Employees: 580 (group total; 450 in Malaysia)
Locations: Malaysia (4 facilities), Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, and Hong Kong
Website: https://www.mepsb.com

*Approximately 9,400 million yen, calculated at an exchange rate of 1 Malaysian ringgit = 38.6 yen.

About TANAKA

Since its foundation in 1885, TANAKA has built a portfolio of products to support a diversified range of business uses focused on precious metals. TANAKA is a leader in Japan regarding the volume of precious metals it handles. Over many years, TANAKA has manufactured and sold precious metal products for industry and provided precious metals in such forms as jewelry and assets. As precious metals specialists, all Group companies in Japan and worldwide collaborate on manufacturing, sales, and technology development to offer a full range of products and services.
With 5,778 employees, the group’s consolidated net sales for the fiscal year ended December 2025 were 1,097,813 million yen.

TANAKA Industrial Precious Metal Materials Portal
https://tanaka-preciousmetals.com

Product inquiries
TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL TECHNOLOGIES Co., Ltd.
https://tanaka-preciousmetals.com/en/inquiries-on-industrial-products/

Press inquiries
TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL GROUP Co., Ltd.
https://tanaka-preciousmetals.com/en/inquiries-for-media/

Press Release: https://www.acnnewswire.com/docs/files/20261021_EN.pdf