Sumitomo Corporation (Tokyo), Sumitomo Australia Ltd (Sydney), Cominex Pty Ltd (Hobart), and KCM Corp (Nagoya), have jointly established Tasmanian Advanced Minerals Pty Ltd (TAM), which will mine silica on the west coast of Tasmania and process it at a new factory which is under construction at Wynyard, Tasmania. Silica was discovered in some limited locations on the west coast of Tasmania & is regarded as "unique" in geological formation & being of extremely high purity. All four JV parties have been involved in Tasmanian silica development since the mid-1980s. In recent years, demand for high quality silica, specifically from the LCD glass sector has been strong as a result of the popularity of LCD TVs, etc. The factory construction proposal was initiated by Sumitomo Australia Ltd in 2004. In 2006 planning was granted & factory construction began December that year.
