Cape Town, South Africa
May 30 to June 3, 2022
With a record attendance of 240+ international delegates from 120 companies based in 35 countries, this conference is the world’s biggest event of the Manganese industry, and the largest IMnI event ever organised!
This event attracted major Manganese ore, alloy and chemical producers, in addition to traders, logistics companies, battery producers and steel mills.
The conference was supported by major sponsors, including Autlán, Cigroup, South32, Tshipi, Transalloys; Manganese Metal Company (MMC), Assore, United Manganese of Kalahari (UMK) Kudumane.
The event offered countless networking opportunities, during the Welcome Cocktail at the Westin hotel in Cape Town, during networking lunches, social events and a wine-tasting and gala dinner at Cape Point Vineyards!
Industry experts presented on the latest battery, steel and Manganese trends and opportunities (these presentations are available for IMnI Members on the IMnI extranet, and upon request for non-Members at imni@manganese.org), and a session of the conference was dedicated to Manganese chemicals and Lithium-ion batteries. Speakers included Robert Ward, Simon Freemantle, Michael Thackeray, Teboho Sebetlela, Jason R. Croy, Steven Vercammen, Aloys d’Harambure, Kevin Fowkes, Rorie Wilson, Rocklin Reed, Bingbing Song, Agnieszka Leopold.
More than 130 delegates attended the technical visits of major Manganese operations, including 7 Manganese mines:
Feedback from the delegates after the event:
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- thanks for laying on such an excellent event in very difficult circumstances. Of the three conferences I’ve attended post-COVID, it’s the only one that has been a real success (AlloyConsult)
- A note of thanks to you and your team for organising a most amazing IMnI conference in Cape Town! (Traxys)
- This conference has become the highlight in our annual calendar and I only received very positive feedback from attendees I have spoken to (Assore)
- Congratulations on a top-notch Annual Conference last week—much enjoyed from start to finish. Excellent sessions and a wonderful crowd (International Institute of Strategic Studies)
For information, please email us at events@manganese.org
IMnI 46th Annual Conference was held at the Westin Hotel Cape Town on May 30 – June 3, 2022. The theme was : “South Africa at crossroads: diversified Manganese producer, or China’s mine?”.
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Jason R. Croy
Dr. Croy is the Group Leader for the Materials Research Group at Argonne National Laboratory, USA. The group focuses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of high-energy, lithium-ion electrode materials. Dr. Croy also leads a consortium for the U.S. Department of Energy consisting of ~50 individual researchers across five U.S. national laboratories. The program, called Earth-Abundant Cathode Materials (EaCAM), is aimed at enabling next-generation, sustainable cathodes solutions with an emphasis on the use of earth-abundant elements such as manganese. Dr. Croy received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Central Florida, USA.
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Simon Freemantle
Simon Freemantle is a Senior Political Economist in Standard Bank’s global research team. Having joined Standard Bank in 2008 Simon first spent 2 years working from the bank’s Nairobi office as an East African Economist. In his current role, Simon is the bank’s dedicated South Africa political economist, primarily serving both the local and international corporate and institutional investor communities. For the past seven years (2015 - 2021) Simon has been ranked 1st in South Africa in the Political Analysis category of the Financial Mail’s annual Ranking the Analysts Awards; while in 2010 Simon also led a team which was ranked 1st in the Other African Economies and Markets category. Simon has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law as well as Honours in International Studies (cum laude), and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Stellenbosch and the University of Amsterdam. Simon has also completed short courses at the London School of Economics and has given a course on SA’s political economy to an executive MBA class at the Gordon Institute of Business Science. Simon has presented on SA and African political economy topics at Columbia Business School; Oxford University’s African Studies Centre; Chatham House (London); the Council for Foreign Relations (New York); and the New York University Stern School of Business. In September 2015 Simon delivered a talk at TEDx (Stellenbosch) on the rising demographic, urbanization and communication trends in Africa. Simon gave a presentation on "Prospects for the African economy, with an emphasis on South Africa" at IMnI 2022 Annual Conference which took place in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Kevin Fowkes
Kevin Fowkes has 24 years’ experience working as an economist and consultant in the ferroalloy industry.
From 2007 to 2009, Kevin Fowkes was a business development manager in the metals division of Privat Group. Before that he was the senior market analyst for the Norwegian ferroalloy group Elkem, and a consultant for Hatch Beddows and CRU International. Since 2009, Kevin has run AlloyConsult, his own company, which provides bespoke consulting services to the ferroalloy industry.
Kevin Fowkes is a graduate of the London School of Economics.
Kevin gave a presentation on "Analysis of Manganese cost dynamics" at the IMnI 2022 Annual Conference which was held in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Agnieszka Leopold
Dr. Agnieszka Leopold holds a Master of Science in Engineering in Chemical Technology from the Poznan University of Technology in Poznan, Poland and a PhD degree in Chemical Process Engineering from the Technical University of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain. She has an extensive knowledge of the world of chemistry gained having worked in the following fields: research and development in chemical engineering, chemical products safety and regulatory affairs compliance, intellectual property (patents, trademarks, confidential agreements) in chemistry.
Agnieszka Leopold 博士在波兰波兹南理工大学获得化学技术科学工程师硕士学位，随后在西班牙巴塞罗那加泰罗尼亚理工大学获得化学工艺工程博士学位。 她在化学领域拥有相当广泛的知识，并具有丰富的从业经验，包括在化学工程研发、化学产品安全和法规事务合规、化工行业中的知识产权（专利、商标、保密协议）等方面。 -
Rocklin Reed
Rocklin Reed joined the Ore & Metal Company in 2017 as the Group’s Senior Manager for Safety, Health, Environment, Risk & Quality (SHERQ). Initially studying and qualifying in the fields of Analytical Chemistry and Safety Management, Rocklin has fulfilled various HSE Specialist, Project and Leadership roles within BHP Billiton (Aluminium) and Rio Tinto (Titanium and Heavy Minerals) over a period of 21 years. Rocklin also currently serves as the IMnI HSE Committee Chairperson.
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Teboho Sebetlela
Teboho is a Research Manager at Wood Mackenzie with experience encompassing market research, asset cost analysis as well as consulting and project management. Throughout his career, he has gained deep multi-commodity experience covering several steel alloys as well as some of the raw materials that will be key to driving the energy transition. Currently, Teboho's main focus is on market research and consulting covering the global chromium and manganese markets. This includes new energy applications across these metals.
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Bingbing Song
International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Mr Song is the Secretary for the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC), which is the key international body, dealing with cargo related issues including solid bulk cargoes (International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code), bulk gas cargoes, dangerous goods, and containers. Mr Song is also dealing with maritime regulations related to alternative fuels, under the framework of the International Code of Safety for Ship Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code), in particular with the implementation of IMO 2020 sulphur limit (1 January 2020 entry into force of the new global sulphur limit of 0.5 per cent for ships’ fuel oil).
Bingbing Song gave a presentation on "IMO’s development on regulatory framework for the safe transport of Manganese and alternative fuels" at IMnI 2022 Annual Conference which took place in Cape Town, South Africa in 2022.
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Michael M. Thackeray
Michael Thackeray was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1949. He was educated at Waterkloof House Preparatory School (WHPS), Michaelhouse high school, and the University of Cape Town where, in 1977, he received his PhD degree in Chemistry. Thackeray is a materials chemist who has contributed to advancing battery science and technology over a lifelong career at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa (1973-1993) and at Argonne National Laboratory in the United States (1994-), where he is currently an Argonne Emeritus Scientist and Distinguished Fellow. His research studies and understanding of structure-electrochemical relationships have led to the discovery, design and development of new or improved electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries that now command a multi-billion dollar industry. He is Honorary Chairman of the International Battery Association (IBA), serving as President (1999-2002), Chairman (2015-2017) and a Board member for more than 25 years. He served as Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), the Center for Electrical Energy Storage (CEES-I, 2009-2014), and as Deputy Director of the renewed Center, the Center for Electrochemical Energy Science (CEES-II, 2014-2018). Thackeray is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the Electrochemical Society (USA) and the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study in South Africa. He has presented the results of his research widely across the globe, and he has been the recipient of several notable awards and honours.
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Steven Vercammen
Steven Vercammen is a knowledge expert in McKinsey & Company’s Belgium Office. Since he joined in 2004, he has worked on steel and steel value chain related projects (carbon and stainless steel). Whilst early on focusing on operational improvement, market analysis (supply/demand) and technical benchmarking, in recent years Steven has specialized in sustainability topics related to the steel industry. As part of the global steel industry dynamics knowledge, Steven is the global expert on steel metallics dynamics covering scrap supply, demand and pricing evolution and decarbonization. In addition, Steven is global research leader for steel and metals in general, responsible for proprietary knowledge assets linked to cost curves, demand, supply, capital markets and overall market dynamics. Some of Steven’s recent metallics an decarbonisation experiences include:
- Author of 2 “China scrap” with papers covering 10-15 year outlook of China steel industry and the importance of scrap (industry structure, scrap availability and profitability) within the Chinese restructuring efforts to reduce steel capacity and shift from BOF to EAF.
- China scrap-recycling industry overview: industry size and structure, performance and profitability and the effect of scrap prices on supply with deep-dive on scrap pricing mechanisms and minimum price levels.
- Country specific scrap availability dynamics and future dependence on import: Top down assessment of future steel demand and production and the countries scrap needs combined with local availability and recycling efficiency.
- EAF bottom up cost modelling for NAFTA region assessing the operational practices and VIU considerations for different metallic inputs as main cost driver for profitability assessment.
- Scrap strategy for integrated steelmaker in the America’s
- In depth analysis of short/long term future global metallics market (scrap/DRI) for steelmaking.
- Decarbonisation framework for the steel industry, pathways to a carbon neutral steel industry assessing operational cost and long term investment capex plans.
- Detailed modelling of carbon footprint for integrated steel mills covering scope 1, 2 and 3.
- Assessing the future mid to long term options for Europe’s carbon emission ambitions combining scrap optimization, biomass usage and alternative iron making technologies.
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Robert Ward
Robert Ward is Director of Geo-economics & Strategy and Japan Chair at The International Institute for Strategic Studies, one of the world’s leading authorities on global security, political risk and conflict.
Before joining the IISS in 2019, Robert was the Editorial Director at The Economist Intelligence Unit where he led the EIU’s country, industry and data analysis and forecasting teams. Robert joined the Economist Group in 1997.
After graduating from Cambridge University in 1989, Robert went to Japan where he lived and worked until 1996. Robert also studied in the Soviet Union in 1986.
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Rorie Wilson
B Com: Economics Honours (International Trade and Finance) London Business School: Finance Insead AMP Rorie started his career in Investment Banking, joining the Standard Bank Group as part of the Investment Banking and Investment Banking Coverage teams focusing on Telecoms and Media across African and other emerging markets, with a key focus on M&A, debt and financing options in various jurisdictions. In 2010 Rorie spent a year in London with Standard Bank Plc in Investment Banking Coverage. In 2011 Rorie joined Assore Limited (Assore) as part of the Iron Ore Team. Rorie was appointed Managing Director for the marketing business in 2018, predominantly looking after Manganese Ore and Alloys. Rorie has recently been appointed Chairman of CatoRidge Alloys, one of the Assmang JV operations and a non-executive director for the Assore International operations, Assore International Holdings ( AIH) based in the UK. Rorie Wilson gave a presentation on "Manganese market, a South African perspective" at IMnI 2022 Annual Conference which took place in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Aloys d’Harambure
Aloys d’Harambure is the Executive Director of the International Manganese Institute, the Paris-based organisation representing the global Manganese industry. Aloys joined the IMnI in 2014, as Market Research Manager, focusing on analysing the supply and demand fundamentals of the manganese business. He is a graduate from Montreal business school HEC, where he specialised in market intelligence. Prior to joining the IMnI, he was Business Analyst at the International Chromium Development Association (ICDA). Aloys is a regular speaker at metal and mineral industry events, and other conferences worldwide.
AUTLÁN is a Mexican company engaged in several markets of MANGANESE and ENERGY, among other industrial sectors. The company was founded in 1953 and has been recognized as a reliable supplier because of its high-quality products and commercial service. Regarding manganese, Autlán is the largest producer of manganese ferroalloys in the Americas, the most important producer of manganese ore in North and Central America and one of the few producers of Alkaline EMD in the western world. Autlán is focused on fulfilling the manganese needs from the steel industry as well as the specialized manganese requirements from the alkakine & dry battery, ceramic and micronutrient producers. The company owns three manganese mining units and three ferroalloy plants in Mexico, as well as an EMD plant in Spain.
Assore
is a mining holding company engaged principally in ventures involving base minerals and metals. The company was incorporated in 1950 and its shares are listed on the JSE Securities Exchange (JSE) under “Assore” in the general mining sector until 2020 when they delisted.
The group’s principal investment
is a 50% interest in Assmang Proprietary Limited (Assmang) which it controls jointly with African Rainbow Minerals Limited (ARM). The group, through its various joint-venture entities and subsidiary companies, is involved in the mining of iron, manganese and chrome ores together with other industrial minerals and the production of manganese alloys. The group is also responsible for marketing all products produced by the Assore and Assmang groups, the bulk of which is exported and the remainder either used in the group’s beneficiation processes or sold locally.
Manganese Metal Company (MCC)
produces the purest (99.9%) form of manganese metal available in the world today. We are the world’s most experienced, largest, and most reliable supplier of selenium-free electrolytic manganese metal (EMM). We are a proudly South African owned company and one of only two EMM makers outside China.
Long-term supply relationships, high quality products and reliability of supply are pivotal to our success. More than 90% of output is exported, with on-site container loading and an in-house logistics function. MMC’s EMM in flake or powder format is sold into various high purity applications in the steel, aluminium, welding, and Li-ion battery industries. Our customer base spans more than 100 customers in over 20 countries.
MMC is set for long term sustainability in terms of access to raw materials, process technology and ESG compliance, including a world class residue disposal facility. The hydrometallurgical process includes ore milling, roasting, leaching, purification and electrowinning. The plant is a unique, closed-loop continuous operation with the world’s largest series circuit EMM cell house.
South32
South32 is a globally diversified mining and metals company. We produce commodities including bauxite, alumina, aluminium, copper, silver, lead, zinc, nickel, metallurgical coal and manganese from our operations in Australia, Southern Africa (Mamatwan) and South America.
Expansion:
With a focus on growing our base metals exposure, we also have two development options in North America and several partnerships with junior explorers around the world.
Transalloys
is a well-recognized supplier of silicomanganese and medium carbon ferromanganese globally, and the only silicomanganese producer in South Africa. The production plant is situated 14 km west of eMalahleni (Witbank) and approximately 90 km east of Pretoria, in the Mpumalanga Province. Manganese ore used in the production process comes from the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, which is known to contain 75% of the world’s identified manganese ore reserves.
Smelter and capacity:
The smelter complex company was acquired in 2007, and as a result of the concerted effort by the Transalloys’ management team and the employees, the productivity and output of the plant were increased by 50% without the addition of any additional smelting capacity. The plant has the capacity to produce approximately 180 000 tonnes of manganese ferroalloys per annum. The plant itself dates back to the mid-1960’s when the first two furnaces were built, with three more furnaces being added over the following three decades. Currently, there are 5 submerged arc furnaces, with capacity ranging between 22 and 48 MVA. Transalloys has completed the construction and commissioning of a UHT oxygen blown converter during Q3 of 2020. Typically, one of the SiMn furnaces is periodically converted to HCFeMn production, which serves as feedstock to the converter for conversion to MCFeMn, which is then produced on a campaign basis.Grades:
The standard grade silicomanganese contains a minimum of 16.5% of silicon, 65 to 67% of manganese and a maximum of 2% carbon. Medium carbon ferromanganese contains a minimum of 80 % manganese, less than 1.5 % carbon and less than 1.0 % silicon.
Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining Proprietary Limited is an independently operated and managed, black empowered manganese ore producer. Tshipi é Ntle means “beautiful steel” in the local Tswana language.
Tshipi is not only the largest single manganese mine and exporter from South Africa but is also one of the five largest manganese ore exporters globally.
Based in the Kalahari Manganese Field (KMF), the largest manganese-bearing geological formation in the world, Tshipi Borwa Mine is a shallow open-cast operation developed on a large and homogenous ore body.
United Manganese of Kalahari (UMK)
UMK is a South African company, mining manganese in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The Kalahari manganese fields are regarded as the largest manganese ore deposit globally.
An exporter of Manganese:
Established in 2005, UMK is 51% black owned and is the 4th largest manganese exporter in South Africa. In 2018 the mineral resources were estimated at 607mt with 200mt in measured and indicated categories. Mineral Reserves for Open Pit Mining are estimated at 112mt that provides a life of Open Pit Mine of more than 30 years.
Assmang - Black Rock Mine Operations (BRMO) is one of two underground manganese ore mine operations in South Africa, mining both oxide and semi-carbonate ores.
Mining operations began in 1940, at the Black Rock hillock, and subsequently expanded to the Nchwaning mines and Gloria mine in the Northern Cape. Gloria (commissioned in 1975) and producing medium grade semi-carbonate ore. Nchwaning 2 and Nchwaning 3 (commissioned in 1981 and 2004 respectively) and producing various grades of high grade oxide ore. BRMO is currently producing 4.2 million tons per annum, the majority of which is exported.
Assmang’s well-established cooperation with Transnet in terms of the railway and port networks, makes it one of the most distinguished exporters in the world. Cargo is predominantly railed to Port Elizabeth and Saldanha Bay for export.
IMnI visitors will see the following:
- Underground mining operations of Nchwaning 3, part of the Nchwaning Mine
- Underground mining operations of Gloria mine
- Nchwaning矿区3期地下采矿运营
- Gloria 矿山地下采矿运营
The Kalagadi Manganese Mine
The mine is situated West of Hotazel, off the R31 Road, Northern Cape. The mine is constituted out of three contiguous farms namely, Umtu 281, Olive Pan 282 and Gama 283, making a total area of 6300ha. It is a mechanised trackless board and pillar mine. This mine complex comprises the shaft complex, the ore preparation plant, sinter plant and bulk infrastructure. The mine has the capacity to produce 3million tonnes of manganese ore at a grade of 36-38% manganese and sinter at a grade of 44% - 48%.
Infrastructure
Key buildings on the mine complex above the shafts which serve mining operations and underground plant are:
Administration building, substations, workshops, refuge bays, conveyor belts, water pumps, winder gear, etc. The mine shaft winder house (machinery control room) containing cables, sinter plant / furnace, ore preparation plant, explosive storage, railway operations (the mine has 23km of its own track), power line of 132kV (property of Eskom) / substation of 40MVA, administration office building, 9 x 800KW Generators, multiple transformers, staff canteen, 2 x 60000L diesel tanks, water reservoir of 17 million liters, a maintenance workshops, sprinkler pump house, the staff accommodation and canteen block and the main security office at the front gate.
The Underground Mine
The shaft complex consists of two vertical shafts, the main shaft and the ventilation shaft. The main shaft is 9m in diameter, reaching a depth of 350m below surface. The ventilation shaft is 6m in diameter, reaching a depth of 317m. The two shafts are joined at the production level (281m) and the loading level (317m). The shallow depth means that there is lower seismic risk and lower rock temperatures that do not require refrigerated ventilation.
The main function of the shaft is the hoisting of workers, material and ore. The ventilation shaft is used for return ventilation and serves as an emergency exit.
Ore Processing Plant (the largest Mn sintering plant in the world)
The ore is processed through the ore preparation plant preparing the feed for the sinter plant. The ore is fed from the Ore Preparation plant through conveyor belts.
Sinter Plant
Kalagadi beneficiate the ore to produce 2.4 million tonnes of sintered manganese at a grade of 44-48% manganese. The difference between the sintered output tonnage and the 3 million tons of ROM ore is essentially the CO2 and moisture that is driven off from the Manganese Ore, which upgrades the Manganese content of the Ore.
Kalagadi sells its sinter product on both the South African and International market.
Roads and the Railway load out station
The site has a constructed 9.5km access road linking to the R31 main road, a Rapid Rail Load Out station and an electrified rail spur to ensure the efficient loading of bulk load trains and access to the main Hotazel Port Elizabeth Rail Corridor.
Other infrastructure
The mine has a 2 x 132kV Power Line from Sishen to the Umtu Complex and the Sub-station, and an 11km water pipeline to the Sishen / Blackrock / Sedibeng water supply line. We have a 6km rolled out fibre network.
The mine started production of the Manganese Ore in March 2018 with the plant being operated 24/7 throughout the week, with written permission to operate on Sundays. It is capacitated through a team of just over 960 Kalagadi permanent staff members. 简介 Kalagadi锰矿位于霍塔泽尔（Hotazel）以西，北开普省R31公路旁。该矿由三个相邻的农场组成，即Umtu 281，Olive Pan 282和Gama 283，总面积为6300公顷。这是一个机械化的无轨板柱矿。该矿场包括竖井，选矿厂，烧结厂和基础设施。该矿山产能可达300万吨锰矿石，品位为36-38％锰，烧结矿品位为 44％-48％。 基础设施 竖井上方矿山综合体中用于采矿和地下工厂的主要设施有： 行政大楼、变电所、车间、避难所、传送带、水泵、卷取机等。 包含电缆的矿井卷取机房（机械控制室）、烧结厂/熔炉、选矿厂、炸药库、铁路运输（ 矿有近 20 公里自己的轨道），132kV 电力线（为Eskom 资产）/40MVA 变电站，9 x 1000KW 发电机，多台变压器，员工食堂，2 x 6万升柴油罐，1700 万升水库 、维修车间、洒水泵房、员工宿舍和员工餐厅以及位于入口处的主要安全办公室。 地下矿井 竖井综合体由两个竖井组成，即主轴和通风井。 主轴直径9m，深度达地表以下350m。 通风井直径6m，深度317m。 两个竖井在生产层 (281m) 和装载层 (317m) 处衔接。 较浅的深度意味着较低的地震风险和较低的岩石温度，不需要冷藏通风设施。 竖井的主要功能是升降作业人员、物料和矿石。 通风井用于回风，并作紧急出口备用。 选矿厂（世界上最大的锰烧结厂） 矿石经过选矿厂加工，为烧结厂准备进料。矿石通过传送带进入选矿厂。 烧结厂 Kalagadi 对矿石进行选矿，以生产 240 万吨烧结锰，锰品位为 44-46%。烧结产出吨位与 300 万吨原矿的主要差异在于烧结后锰矿中的二氧化碳含量和湿度减少，提高了锰矿品位。 Kalagadi 在南非和国际市场上销售其烧结矿。 公路和铁路卸货站 该矿址有一条连接R31主干道的9.5公里长的通道，一个快速铁路卸货站和一个电气化铁路支线，以确保散装列车高效装载和通往Hotazel伊丽莎白港主铁路走廊。 其他基础设施 该矿有一条从锡申（Sishen）到乌姆图（Umtu）综合电站和变电站的2 x 132kV电力线，以及一条通往锡申（Sishen）/黑岩（Blackrock）/塞迪本（Sedibeng）供水管线的11公里输水管道，同时还有一个6公里的光纤网络。 该矿山于2018年3月开始生产锰矿，全天24小时运营，周末无休，并获得了周日开工的准许文件。960 名的终身员工组成的团队为该矿山提供运营支持。Kudumane Manganese Resources
KMR is one of South Africa’s newer manganese mining company situated in Hotazel. Mining operations officially launched in May 2012 with 100 000 tons of bulk sampling.
Manganese production:
Current annual manganese production is about 2 million tons from York and Hotazel operations.
Mines:
The operation consists of two open-pit mines, York and Hotazel, a processing plant and various support infrastructure. Production is supported by a Loadout Station with a loading capacity of more than 4 million tons.Location:
Kudumane Manganese Mine is located in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality (“JTG”), about 1 kilometre from Hotazel town, which is approximately 60 kilometres from Kuruman.
Manganese Metal Company (MMC)
MMC produces the purest (99.9%) form of Manganese metal available in the world today. We are the world’s most experienced, largest, and most reliable supplier of selenium-free electrolytic manganese metal (EMM). We are a proudly South African owned company and one of only two EMM makers outside China. Long-term supply relationships, high quality products and reliability of supply are pivotal to our success. More than 90% of output is exported, with on-site container loading and an in-house logistics function. MMC’s EMM in flake or powder format is sold into various high purity applications in the steel, aluminium, welding, and Li-ion battery industries. Our customer base spans more than 100 customers in over 20 countries. MMC is set for long term sustainability in terms of access to raw materials, process technology and ESG compliance, including a world class residue disposal facility. The hydrometallurgical process includes ore milling, roasting, leaching, purification and electrowinning. The plant is a unique, closed-loop continuous operation with the world’s largest series circuit EMM cell house. A visit to MMC is an opportunity to see the production and residue facilities and obtain insight into the EMM market structure, a unique part of the global manganese industry. MMC is a leading current supplier of pure Mn units into the growing Li-ion battery/EV space.Address and contact:
Mamatwan Mine
Mamatwan Mine is part of the Hotazel Manganese Mines (HMM) operated by South32. Mamatwan mine consists of an open pit operation that commenced in 1963 and uses the terrace mining method. The pit is being extended to the north and the west. The current run of mine for Mamatwan is in the order of 2.91million tons per annum. The current life of mine of Mamatwan mine is 15 years.The ore is beneficiated using:
- Dense Medium Separation
- Sinter process
Transalloys: a global supplier of silicomanganese
Transalloys is the only silicomanganese producer in South Africa. The production plant is situated 14 km west of eMalahleni (Witbank) and approximately 90 km east of Pretoria, in the Mpumalanga Province. Manganese ore used in the production process comes from the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, which is known to contain 75% of the world’s identified manganese ore reserves.Plant capacity:
The company was established in 2007 when the Renova Group, a Russian diversified investment holding, acquired the plant. Under Renova’s strategic leadership and as a result of the concerted effort by the Transalloys’ management team and the employees, the productivity and output of the plant were increased by 50% without the addition of any additional smelting capacity. The plant has the capacity to produce approximately 180 000 tonnes of silicomanganese per annum. In 2018 Renova divested 51% of its interest in Transalloys to Israeli and Swiss investors. The plant itself dates back to the mid-1960’s when the first two furnaces were built. Currently, there are 5 submerged arc furnaces, with capacity ranging between 22 and 48 MVA. Transalloys has completed the construction and commissioning of a UHT oxygen blown converter during Q3 of 2020. Typically, one of the SiMn furnaces is periodically converted to HCFeMn production, which serves as feedstock to the converter for conversion to MCFeMn, which is then produced on a campaign basis.Grades:
The standard grade silicomanganese contains a minimum of 16.5% of silicon, 65 to 67% of manganese and a maximum of 2% carbon. Medium carbon ferromanganese contains a minimum of 80 % manganese, less than 1.5 % carbon and less than 1.0 % silicon.
United Manganese of Kalahari (UMK) is a South African company, mining manganese in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The Kalahari manganese fields are regarded as the largest manganese ore deposit globally.
Established in 2005, UMK is 51% black owned and is the 4th largest manganese exporter in South Africa. UMK is a long-life asset containing both opencast and underground resources in excess of 100 years. Location of the mine: Farm Perth District Road D3340 HotazelTshipi Borwa mine
The Tshipi mining right application was approved in 2010 and after a 20-month construction and commissioning phase, Tshipi Borwa Mine railed and exported its first manganese ore.
Tshipi is an independently operated and managed, black empowered manganese ore producer. Tshipi é Ntle means “beautiful steel” in the local Tswana language.
Tshipi is not only the largest single manganese mine and exporter from South Africa but is also one of the five largest manganese ore exporters globally.
Based in the Kalahari Manganese Field (KMF), the largest manganese-bearing geological formation in the world, Tshipi Borwa Mine is a shallow open-cast operation developed on a large and homogenous ore body with a currently confirmed life of mine reserve of approximately 30 years.
Tshipi has an established and efficient export infrastructure, including a 8km private rail siding loop, and one of the fastest load-out stations in the Kalahari region with direct access to the Transnet rail link and ports in South Africa.
The mine operates through drill-and-blast and load-and-haul mining techniques. At the start of the mining process, the top soil is removed and stockpiled in a separate area for later use during the rehabilitation phase.
The various layers of the Kalahari formation are removed, followed by the harder banded ironstone, dolomite and manganese layers which are part of the Hotazel formation. Once exposed, the manganese ore is drilled, blasted and loaded onto a truck and hauled to the Company’s primary crusher which forms part of the processing facilities.
The Mine is operated in terms of a contractor-operator model, which has allowed it to become one of the lowest cost manganese ore exporters globally and a flexibly scaled production process in response to manganese ore price volatilities and market conditions.
Location of Tshipi Borwa mine:
331 Mamatwan Farm, Kathu, Northern Cape, South Africa
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