DOWA : MELTEC IWAKI CO., LTD. Starts Operations DOWA Group Doubles the Capacity for Melting Incinerated Ash/Recycling（288KB）

December 5, 2017

DOWA HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

DOWA ECO-SYSTEM CO., LTD. (14-1, Sotokanda 4-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; capital: ¥1 billion;

President: Minoru Tobita), a subsidiary of DOWA HOLDINGS CO., LTD. (same location; capital:

¥36.4 billion; President: Masao Yamada), has completed the construction of a new plant for melting incinerated ash and manufacturing artificial aggregates, making it the second plant in Japan of the DOWA Group at MELTEC IWAKI CO., LTD. (1-75, Yoshinosawa, Yotsukura-machi, Iwaki, Fukushima; capital: ¥90 million; President: Toyohiko Arise), and started operations in December.

Much of the incinerated ash generated by municipal waste incineration plants up until now has been deposited in landfill facilities. In light of the growing needs to improve the recycling ratio and to save on landfill capacity, more and more municipalities are implementing recycling programs, such as adopting melting methods instead of burying waste in landfills. MELTEC Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of DOWA ECO-SYSTEM, has introduced its own recycling process in which incinerated ash is melted and cooled over a long period of time, manufacturing melting slag, which is used as artificial aggregate, and molten metal, which contains gold/silver/copper and other valuable metals since 1999. The melting slag manufactured by MELTEC has the same strength as natural stones, and since hazardous heavy metals are separated and the metal slag is environmentally friendly, its quality as artificial aggregate is highly valued.

MELTEC IWAKI CO., LTD, which started operations, introduced the same recycling process as MELTEC, which has been operating for about 20 years, accepting incinerated ash from Iwaki City and other municipalities. Demand for artificial aggregate to be used in the construction of roadbeds and other structures is expected to grow in the surrounding areas. In addition, the group company Kosaka Smelting and Refining Co., Ltd. will recycle the molten metal that contains valuable metal as refining materials into a variety of metals such as gold, silver, and copper in the same way of recycling MELTEC's molten metal.

With the start of operation at MELTEC IWAKI, DOWA ECO-SYSTEM has established two plants for melting incinerated ash, doubling the annual capacity for melting incinerated ash/recycling to about 80 thousand tons. DOWA ECO-SYSTEM will respond to the needs of its customers who hope to effectively use incinerated ash as a resource.

By expanding the incinerated ash melting business and the manufacture of artificial aggregate, DOWA ECO-SYSTEM will continue to promote appropriate recycling and disposal of waste and contribute to the protection of the environment.

[Outline of MELTEC IWAKI CO., LTD.]

1． Location : 1-75, Yoshinosawa, Yotsukura-machi, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture (Iwaki Yotsukura Core Industrial Park)

2． Business description : Manufacturing of artificial aggregate (melting slag)

and refining materials (molten metal) by melting incinerated ash 3． Shareholder : DOWA ECO-SYSTEM CO., LTD., 100%

4． End of construction : October 2017 5． Start of operation : December 2017 6． Capacity : 158.5 ton/day

MELTEC IWAKI CO., LTD.