Zimbabwe’s ferrochrome miners, the nation’s biggest electricity consumers, have agreed to build their own power plants over the next two years as the government seeks to balance energy demand.

South Korea has struck deals with Kazakhstan to allow its firms to explore for critical minerals in the Central Asian state, it said on Wednesday, as the home to major chip producers and leading carmaker Hyundai moves to diversify its supply chains.

Subhrakant Panda, Managing Director of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys (IMFA) expects ferrochrome prices to increase by ?3,000 to ?4,000 per tonne in the first quarter (April-June).

Pending an improved price and cost environment, Glencore said in its first-quarter 2024 production report on Tuesday that its Rustenburg ferrochrome smelter in South Africa’s North West province would remain idled.

Merafe Resources has reported that its attributable ferrochrome production from the Glencore Merafe Chrome Venture in the first quarter ended March 31 was 77 000 t.

Jubilee Metals has achieved record production levels at its South African chrome operations, both on monthly output for March and for the quarter ended March 31 – which is the third quarter of the company’s 2024 financial year.

2024 Mining,Metals & Minerals 50

Canada Nickel (TSX-V: CNC) has kicked off front end engineering design (FEED) at its flagship Crawford nickel project in northern Ontario, which it expects to bring into production in 2027.