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Zimbabwe's mines lost as much as 10% production time in the first quarter of this year due to power interruptions on the national grid, the country's Chamber of Mines reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hernic Ferrochrome, the world's fourth-largest integrated ferro-chrome producer, has entered in partnership with Jubilee Platinum to exclusively beneficiate the chrome and platinum group metals (PGM) from Hernic's surface tailings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A weak rand is bringing a welcome reprieve to the South African chrome ore and ferro-chrome producers, market analysts told delegates at Metal Bulletin's Chromite 2014 conference in Johannesburg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is shelving many of its new ferro-chrome plants because of rising costs and difficult market conditions, a Chinese executive said. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) is in the late planning stages for a new 600,000-tpy chrome and base metals retreatment plant, according to Jill Wolfe, the company's precious and base metals marketing manager for Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the increased earnings at South Africa's African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) for the half-year ended December 2013 as a result of the strong performance from its manganese division. Earnings of 2.15 billion Rand were posted by the company's ferrous segments, which also includes the company's manganese business. The ARM chrome ore sales remained stable at 477,000 tonnes for the period.

ChromTech Holdings is planning to build a smelter in South Africa that will produce charge chrome from 100% UG2 chrome ore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa exported almost 50% more chrome ore to China in the first six months of this year, compared to the first half of last year, Merafe Resources said on August 6, when it released it first-half results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on how the South African ferro-chrome industry will be affected by the decision of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to deny national power utility Eskom the opportunity for further energy buy-back programmes, as of April 2013. Eskom has been paying ferro-chrome producers to switch off smelters for months to help with load-shedding across the nation's overstretched electricity grid.

The article reports on the concerns among South African ferro-chrome producers that business failures will occur if the market does not improve soon.

The article reports on the efforts of South African ferro-chrome producers to discuss ideas to save the country's smelter business and keep chrome ore businesses going in 2012. One of the ideas discussed is the broad consolidation within the industry, including smelters and chrome mines. Ruukki Group's Danko Konchar, however, proposed at the Metal Bulletin's South African ferro-alloys conference that producers must consider combining to have better control of the flow of material.

The article reports on market participants' proposal to address the oversupply of chrome ore globally. Market participants suggested that platinum group metals (PGM) should be forced by the South African government to have a separate license for selling chrome ore. PGM producers currently receive a license both for mining and selling PGMs. An executive from a ferro-chrome producer explained that the oversupply of chrome ore could be a regulatory problem.

The article reports that South African power utility company, Merafe, has recorded a five percent year-on-year decline in its ferro-chrome output during the third quarter of 2012. The decline has been attributed to a slower market, with the company extending a furnace refurbishment program in response to soft market conditions. Merafe also posted a 15 percent decline in production during the first three quarters of 2012 compared with the same period of 2011, reaching a total of 168,700 tons.

The article reports on the state of the South Africa ferro-chrome industry as of October 2012. Ruukki enterprise director Danko Koncar called on the industry to restructure and consolidate in response to a challenging period. Among the factors that must be considered when restructuring the industry are shareholder preferences, shareholder value, and people with personal agendas.

The article reports on the decision of Zimasco, Zimbabwe's biggest ferro-chrome producer, to suspend chrome ore purchases from mines in the North and Middle Dyke region. The move is seen as an attempt of Zimasco to align with smelter production cutbacks. It relates that Zimasco's major cutbacks were attributed to high electricity costs, high interest rates and unaffordable taxes. Zimasco, which is owned by Sinosteel, has decided to take off D23 ores off the mines production schedule.

The article comments on the state of the ferro-chrome industry in South Africa in 2012. It discusses the opportunities offered by turbulent periods to restructure ferro-chrome businesses. Danko Koncar, Ruukki enterprise director, encouraged the industry to restructure and consolidate at a ferro-alloys conference of "Metal Bulletin" in Johannesburg. Koncar noted a proposal to combine Ruukki, Hernic, ASA Metals and IFM.

The article presents a commentary on the state of the South African ferro-chrome industry in 2012. According to market observers, the industry is fighting for its very survival. Danko Koncar, enterprise director at Ruukki, encouraged the industry to restructure and consolidate. He discussed a proposal to combine Ruukki, Hernic, ASA Metals and IFM.

The article reports on the contention of Reenen Pretorius, commercial manager at Chromtech Holdings, that UG2 chrome ore is the single greatest competitive advantage of South Africa in the global ferro-chrome market. He argued that if all of the country's installed ferro-chrome capacity were operating, all the UG2 produced in South Africa would provide about 40% of the total chrome ore requirement.

The article reports on the proposal by ferro-chrome producers in South Africa to supply 50% of UG2 producers' ore. The proposal is said to have the potential to replace the mooted 100 U.S. dollar-per-tonne export tax and allow ore to be provided at 600-800 rand per tonne. Reenen Pretorius, Chromtech Holdings' commercial manager, explains the challenges with selling UG2 producers' products locally.

The article reports on the advice given by Johan Pfister, regional key account manager at Eskom, for ferro-chrome producers to find complementary energy solutions if they want to reduce their power costs. Pfister said the price of electricity from Eskom will not lower and the company is preparing its third multi-year price determination (MYPD) proposal for submission to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa).

The article reports on the satisfaction of the South African government about talks with the chrome and ferro-chrome sectors with the goal of searching for ways to prevent exports of chrome ore, according to Mosa Mabuza, deputy director-general at the department of mineral resources (DMR). The DMR hosted the first industry meeting, with representatives of the ferro-chrome industry, independent chrome miners and UG2 chrome producers.

The article reports on a meeting held by representatives from all the factions in the South African chrome and ferro-chrome industry in August 2012 to discuss what to do about unbridled chrome ore exports from the country. An attendee noted that this was the very first meeting and the initiative to do this is constructive. Another attendee addressed the crisis facing the industry.

The article reports on the effort of South Africa's ferro-chrome industry to work with trade unions to set up a centralised wage bargaining council, which would simplify payment negotiations for the industry at large. Industry participants said that the aim is to establish the council in two years' time. The effort was also reportedly prompted by the disastrous wage dispute at Lonmin's platinum mine in Marikana in mid-August 2012, which led to the death of 44 miners.

The article discusses the changes facing the chrome and ferro-chrome market in South Africa in 2012. It attributes the scenario to conflicts between ferro-chrome producers and chrome ore by-product producers. It cites the effort of ferro-chrome producers to support an export tax on ore. The plan of Anglo Platinum to establish a ferro-chrome smelter in the country is also assessed.

The article reports on a discussion by Anglo Platinum officials on the prospect of creating ferro-chrome smelter in South Africa, fed by the company's UG2 chrome ore. Tom Aiken, general manager for marketing in Anglo Platinum, said they would have a plant with a capacity of at least 500,000 tonnes per year (tpy) of ferro-chrome to be economically viable. He cited the capacity of Anglo Platinum to potentially outstrip many other ferro-chrome producer in competitiveness on three ways.

The article reports on the decision of South Africa's Eskom not to institute power buybacks from ferro-alloy producers for the rest of 2012, as it did between February and May. Eskom's Andrew Etzinger confirmed that they have no plans for buybacks in 2012, and in 2013 the situation will ease as Medupi comes online. He also noted that the company would only be able to supply all-new ferro-chrome smelters from 2016 or 2017.

The article reports that domestic producers of ferro-chrome in South Africa have been urged to supply ore to restart idle furnaces. Alistair Ruiters, chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman of Ruukki SA, relates that at the moment they are producing around 60% of their total installed capacity in South Africa. It provides an overview of the 100 U.S. dollar per tonne export tax on ore being requested by domestic ferro-chrome producers.

The article deals with the problem facing South Africa's ferro-chrome industry because of an oversupply of chrome ore, according to Alistair Ruiters, chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman of Ruukki SA. Ruiters relates the 81% increase in ore costs experienced by South African consumers since 2005. He admits that they are worried about a big increase in exports of UG2, the chrome ore byproduct from platinum production, to China.

The reports that the ferro-chrome industry of South Africa is unlikely to reap any benefits from a chrome export tax, according to Duncan Hobbs, senior analyst of commodities and mining research at Macquarie Capital. The tax is supported by ferro-chrome producers who claim that the export of cheap ore to China undermines the prices of both ore and alloy. Hobbs, on the other hand, attributes the decline in South Africa's market share in global ferrochrome production to the growth of China.

The article reports on the challenges experienced by ArcelorMittal South Africa's (AMsa) chemicals and coke business in the first quarter of 2012 because of unforeseen ferro-chrome smelter closures. Figures show a decline in the unit's sales volumes and revenue, while the rest of its South African business recorded profit during the period. Amsa expects lower domestic demand for steel, lower steel prices, higher input costs for electricity and transport, and lower sales of commercial coke.

The article reports on the resistance to the plan by major ferro-chrome producers to ask the South African government to impose a 100 U.S. dollars per-tonne export tax on chrome ore. Platinum producers say they have not been invited to the meetings about the tax proposal being held by some ferro-chrome players. According to the article, the industry's lobbying strategy is based on a report by consulting firm McKinsey.

The article reports on the plan by Ruukki South Africa officials to renew merger negotiations with International Ferro Metals (IFM) board members at the Mining Indaba in February 2012. The Cape Town conference is intended to discuss a possible merger via a share swap deal. A total of 54,142 tonnes of ferro-chrome have been produced by IFM for the last quarter of 2011.

The article reports that Ruukki South Africa is hoping to know by the end of 2011 whether the board of International Ferro Metals (IFM) will propose a share swap with the Finnish group to its shareholders. IFM had cash of 8.62 million dollars at the end of the 2011 financial year compared with about 397 million African rands for 2010. Ruukki reportedly believes there are benefits to consolidation in the ferro-chrome market in South Africa.

The article focuses on a report that chrome producer Ruukki is interested in merging its South African ferro-alloy operations with International Ferro Metals (IFM). A source claimed that Ruukki, whose ferro-alloy assets include the Stellite mine and the 110,000-tonnes per year (tpy) Mogale processing plant in South Africa, is keen to exchange shares with the struggling South African ferro-chrome producer.

The article reports on the effort of Zimbabwe Alloys Chrome to reconstruct its three ferro-chrome furnaces at its property in Gweru, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Alloys Chrome executive director Jasper Peters said that the indigenisation law in the country will make it challenging to secure financing for the project. Peters estimated that rebuilding the furnaces will cost around 9 million U.S. dollars a piece.

The article reports on the challenges faced by ferro-chrome market in South Africa. Topics discussed include rise in South African chrome ore exports to China in the year 2013; use of upper group 2 (UG2) chrome ore by platinum producers; views of David Ellwood, from commodity trading company Metmar, on oversupply of ferro-chrome; and plans of ChromTech Holdings, a joint venture between Oreport and DC Technologies to build a smelter, using direct current (DC) furnace technology.

The article reports that South Africa exported almost 50% more chrome ore to China in the first six months of 2013, compared to the first half of last year, according to mining company Merafe Resources when it released it first-half results. South African sellers of ore had already sold 3.1million tonnes to China during the period, compared with 4.5 million tonnes for the whole of 2012. Information is provided on the ferro-chrome production of the company for the first six months of 2013.

The article discusses the potential improvement in the performance of ferro-chrome industry in South Africa in April 2013. It states that the trend is expected to occur as the country's national energy regulator opposed power utility provider Eskom the opportunity for further energy buy-back initiatives. According to the author, the move of the government was influenced by the fact that buy-backs hinder economic growth.

The article reports on the positive reaction of ferro-chrome producers in South Africa to the decision to permit power company Eskom an eight percent annual price increase for five years. Eskom's original proposal of 16 percent per year is mentioned. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) sanctioned the rate increase, which energy industry professionals say is still above inflation. Uncertainty over how Eskom will divide the price increase is also cited.

The article reports on the state of ferro-chrome industry in South Africa as of November 2012. South African ferro-chrome producers have raised concerns on company failures if the market fails to improve. A producer claims that mistrust between companies in the mining sector and their workers was caused by the Marikana incident and the ensuing strikes across the board.

This article reports on the effort made by ferro-chrome market players in South Africa during the second half of 2012 to save the country's smelter and chrome ore businesses. One of the ideas being considered by players is that of broad consolidation within the industry, including smelters, chrome mines and even platinum's UG2 producers.

The article reports on the proposal by some ferro-chrome producers that the oversupply of chrome ore globally could be curbed if South Africa's government would force Platinum Group Metals (PGM) producers to have a separate licence for selling chrome ore. PGM producers have already receive a licence to mine and sell PGMs, but chrome is not specified in the list of products understood to fall under PGMs. The arguments of some market executives are also noted.

The article reports on the decline in ferro-chrome (FeCr) output of the company Merafe by 5% in the third quarter of 2012. A stock exchange notice stated that Merafe decided to extend a furnace refurbishment programme due to weak market conditions. The company stated that it benefited from the depreciation of South African rand in the third quarter. In addition, the company announced that its Tswelopele pelletizing and sinter plant was commissioned in early October.

The article reports that the ferrochrome industry of South Africa is planning to launch a centralized wage bargaining council. It states that the council which is expected to be established in two years' time is being created to simplify the industry's payment negotiations. Archie Palane, head of corporate affairs at Samancor Chrome Ltd., mentions that with central bargaining council strikes will be avoided as doing so will be detrimental to collective bargaining position.

The article highlights the views of Metmar chief executive officer David Ellwood on the ferro-chrome industry in South Africa. Ellwood argued that imposing reverse anti-dumping measures could save the industry. He notes that anti-dumping duties could be imposed when chrome ore is exported below a minimum price. Ferro-chrome producers and independent chrome ore mining companies positively welcomed Ellwood's proposal.

The article reports that ferro-chrome producers in South Africa have requested domestic producers to supply ore to restart idle furnaces. According to Ruukki SA chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) Alistair Ruiters at the Metal Bulletin Chromite Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa on July 5, 2012, producers supply around 60 percent of total installed capacity. Ruiters added that the proposed tax would encourage chrome producers to provide more of their ore to domestic smelter.

The article reports on the proposed 36.6 billion U.S. dollar expansion programme of South Africa's state-owned freight and ports company Transnet. The project will focus on increased capacity to boost services provided to chrome and ferro-chrome players, according to general manager Cleopatra Shiceka. More capacity on the railways for ore producers is expected from the increased volumes of rolling stock.

The article reports on the impact of an oversupply of chrome ore on South Africa's ferro-chrome industry. According to Ruukki SA chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman Alistair Ruiters during Metal Bulletin's (MB) Chromite conference in Johannesburg, South Africa on June 5, 2012, they are competitive even with current energy prices. It is noted that ore costs increased by 81 percent since 2005.

The article deals with Macquarie Capital senior analyst Duncan Hobbs' view that the South African ferro-chrome industry is unlikely to reap any benefits from a chrome export tax. Hobbs spoke at Metal Bulletin's Chromite Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in July 2012. The export tax is being pushed by ferro-chrome producers who believe that the export of cheap ore to China is negatively affecting the South African market.

The article reports that ferro-chrome producers are requesting to include tax exemptions on their ore exports from South Africa on the proposals which are being considered at by the industry. Songezo Zibi, spokesman for Xstrata, mentions that they have not yet made their final proposal, however, they want a policy whoch would give credit for ore exports. Moreover , Zibi says that they are lobbying for the proposal.