TANAKA MEP breaks ground on Penang refinery for electronics materials
MIDA says the planned Penang plant would be Malaysia's first 4N precious-metal refinery, starting with electronics-grade gold materials; operations are expected in 2029.
TANAKA MEP Refinery has broken ground on an RM70 million Penang project that the Malaysian Investment Development Authority says would be Malaysia's first 4N precious-metal refining factory. Its planned high-purity gold and potassium gold cyanide output targets electronics and semiconductor manufacturing. The 8 October groundbreaking starts a future materials facility; commercial operations are expected in the first quarter of 2029.
The joint venture of Japan's TANAKA Precious Metal Technologies and Malaysia's MEP Enviro Technology plans to refine recovered precious metals to 4N, or 99.99%, purity and return them to the manufacturing chain. The first phase accounts for RM35 million of the planned investment. MIDA describes this recovery-to-refining link as part of a fuller local industrial materials ecosystem.
Planned 4N materials for electronics
The intended initial products, 4N gold and potassium gold cyanide, are inputs for electronics and semiconductor processes. The refinery would connect metals recovery to high-purity processing on a proposed three-acre Penang site with 45,000 square feet of planned floor area.
Penang’s chief minister placed the project within the state’s established electronics and semiconductor ecosystem, which spans design, manufacturing, testing and equipment. The proposed refinery would add a high-purity materials step to that cluster, rather than a separate end-product plant.
Link in the materials chain
MIDA says the proposed 4N facility would be Malaysia's first. That is the distinctive industrial claim: a domestic high-purity refining step linked to recovery for electronics materials, beyond a generic factory expansion. MIDA says it will continue working with the venture during implementation, connect it with Malaysia's wider manufacturing ecosystem and identify opportunities for local industry participation. Those links are part of the stated project-development work, not evidence of current supply contracts.
Construction and commissioning are the next measurable steps before the expected first-quarter 2029 commercial start. For Penang's electronics supply chain, the proposed 4N process and planned product mix are the significance of this investment today.
Source: MIDA and TANAKA MEP's 8 October 2026 original release.
