KUALA LUMPUR (March 27): Tin miner and metal producer Malaysia Smelting Corp Bhd (KL:MSC) has invested RM10 million to build a new rotary furnace at Rahman Hydraulic Tin (RHT) in Klian Intan, Perak, according to a press statement on Friday.

The new rotary furnace, which is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2026, has been planned to have a processing capacity of approximately 10 tonnes per day.

The company said the new facility will allow it to convert tin ore to crude tin metal on-site at RHT. Currently, MSC transports the tin ore from RHT to its smelting facility in Pulau Indah, Port Klang to be processed into crude tin metal.  

After conversion at RHT, the crude tin metal will be sent to the Pulau Indah facility for final refining. The refined tin will then be delivered to London Metal Exchange warehouses as well as industrial and electrical and electronics customers.

MSC co-CEO Nicolas Chen Seong Lee said the new plant at RHT will improve overall operational efficiency.  “The rotary furnace at RHT strengthens the integration between our mining and smelting operations. By initiating the primary smelting process at the mine, we can streamline material flow, improve efficiency and provide a more consistent feedstock to our Pulau Indah smelter for final refining.”

Co-CEO Lam Hoi Khong added that the investment will help optimise logistics and turnaround time.

“This investment strengthens our cost structure by reducing the need to transport non-value-adding materials over long distances. By shifting part of the processing upstream, we are able to optimise logistics, improve turnaround time and enhance overall efficiency across the value chain.”

MSC’s shares closed unchanged at RM1.86 at Friday’s closing, valuing the company at RM1.56 billion.