Toyota Tsusho Corp recently announced that it has acquired a 33% stake in Kemerton Silica Sand Pty, an Australian processor of silica sand for glass. The general trading company, which is affiliated with Toyota Motor Corp, purchase the interest in Kemerton, for an undisclose sum. Toyota Tsusho also purchased distribution rights to all the silica sand produced by Kemerton & which it will sell in Japan through Tochu. The move will double Tsusho's sales of silica sand to 600,000/tpa, as well as double its position in the domestic market for imports to 40%, moving closer to number 1 firm Mitsubishi Corp. Japanese demand for silica sand totals 4.5M/tpa, with imports accounting for 1.5M/t, said Toyota Tsusho. Anticipating growing glass demand for such applications as solar cell substrates, the company aims to use its stake to lift silica sand sales to 1M/t by 2012.
