Glencore Merafe restarts some FeCr capacity

The Glencore Merafe chrome joint venture in South Africa has restarted operations at some of its ferro-chrome smelters and chrome mines, while keeping other facilities on care and maintenance until market conditions firm.

Operations have been restarted at the Lion smelter complex and at the Eastern chrome mines, said 20.5pc shareholder South African resources firm Merafe Resources. UG2 plants that process chrome material received from platinum mines are expected to reopen through a phased approach.

The venture, 79.5pc owned by Switzerland-based resources firm Glencore, has the capacity to produce 2.3mn t/yr of ferro-chrome.

Its operations were placed on care and maintenance in late March when the South African government imposed a countrywide Covid-19 lockdown that has now been relaxed.

The venture's Boshoek, Rustenburg, Wonderkop and Lydenburg ferro-chrome smelters, along with its Kroondal chrome mine, will remain under care and maintenance.

It produced 488,000t of ferrochrome during January-March, 3pc lower than in the first quarter of 2019.

By Angus Macmillan