South Africa’s chromite industry is at a crossroads as talks between the industry and government aim to thrash out a strategy to safeguard the country’s chromite mining and ferrochrome (FeCr) industries.
This could lead to a decision to place South Africa’s focus on either chromite ore production or FeCr production, and which may have implications for supply availability or resource development for non-metallurgical chromite grades.
During IM’s Chromite 2011 Conference in Johannesburg 13-14 September, several speakers underlined the significance of the government’s impending decision on the future of the chromite and FeCr sector as China looks set to overtake South Africa in ferrochrome production, the prime driver for chromite demand.
Cengiz Onal, sales manager, Eti Krom Inc., Turkey said that unless the South African government “steps in”, China will become the world’s leading FeCr producer by 2014-15....