Glencore plans to ramp up manganese ore output from Mokala, source says

Commodities trader and producer Glencore is starting production from the Mokala manganese ore mine in South Africa, an industry source has informed Fastmarkets.

The mine will produce semi-carbonate 37% manganese ore, and was expected to ramp-up production to its full capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per year around the start of 2021, the source said in the week of Wednesday November 18.

Material from the mine will be shipped to wherever there is a market, rather than have a particular focus on sales to China, according to the source.

China is the world’s largest consumer of manganese ore.

Fastmarkets’ manganese ore index 37% Mn, cif Tianjin, was $3.83 per dry metric tonne unit on November 13, down by $0.01 per dmtu (0.3%) week on week.

The additional material will enter the market at a time when there is already concern about oversupply among several market participants.

Several manganese ore producers, such as Eramet and Jupiter, also plan to increase their production.