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July 19, 2022
Firebird Metals Limited (ASX: FRB, “Firebird” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce a significant milestone, with the Company delivering an impressive Scoping Study to produce manganese concentrate at its flagship Oakover Project.
Highlights
- Scoping Study confirms manganese concentrate production underpins Firebird’s strategy to develop a manganese hub at Oakover, including high-purity manganese sulphate production
- Robust financials using conservative assumptions to achieve:
- NPV of approximately A$329M at a discount rate of 8% 4
- Exceptional IRR of 47%, based on CIF US$5.27 CIF per dmtu for 30% manganese lump concentrate
- Average EBITDA of approximately $72.7 M per annum, with EBITDA increasing to approximately $125M 5 per annum based on recent pricing (March / April)
- Payback in less than 3years and within forecast production from Indicated Resource
- Mining & production profile
- Low mine strip ratio of 0.9:1
- Envisages processing plant throughput of ~4 Mt annually, to produce ~900 kt of 30%
Manganese (Mn) concentrate annually - 10 year Life of Mine
- Based on Mineral Resource Estimate at Sixty Sixer, with approximately first 6.5 years of production based on 30.5Mt Indicated Resource and following years based on 11.9Mt Inferred Resource
- Potential near-term upside to NPV
- Potential to significantly extend LoM through conversion of inferred to indicated at Jay-Eye and Karen, which combined, host 62.9Mt of Inferred Resources 1
- Infill drilling at Jay-Eye and Karen to be completed through remainder of 2022
- Company has a high level of confidence of increasing Indicated Resources, following strong success of the 2021 infill drilling program, which converted 96% of Sixty Sixer inferred Resource to Indicated Resource 1 & 6
- CAPEX estimated at a modest A$143.8M including $14.3M contingency
- A$73.4M for plant
- A$70.4M for renewable power plant, road upgrades and other infrastructure
- Strong ESG credentials, with proposed renewable energy package delivering significantly lower processing costs and a long-term sustainable footprint
Completion of the Scoping Study follows the recent and significant 170% increase in the Oakover Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) to 172 Mt @ 9.9% Mn (7% Mn cut-off).
Firebird Managing Director Mr Peter Allen commented: “The excellent results from the scoping study have confirmed the outstanding potential of our flagship Oakover project and the exciting opportunity to establish a significant, long-term WA manganese operation that will deliver significant value to all our stakeholders.
“The sizeable MRE upgrade at Oakover from our successful maiden drill program enabled the opportunity for Firebird to consider large-scale production over a long life of mine. We believe Oakover has all the necessary requirements and characteristics which include resource size, near-surface, gently dipping geology and multiple processing options, provide a suitable production pathway, which If successfully executed and developed, will ultimately deliver superior long-term value and position Firebird as key supplier of high-quality manganese to a growing market.
“I am very proud of the effort from our team to deliver the Scoping Study and furthermore, the performance and progression of the Company since we listed a little over a year ago. We are dedicated and focused on executing our growth strategy at Oakover and importantly, continue to tick the boxes required to progress towards the development stage. The future is very exciting for Firebird and we look forward to updating the market as we achieve further milestones in the busy months ahead.”
Forward-looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements which are identified by words such as ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘believes’, ‘estimates’, ‘targets’, ‘expects’, or ‘intends’ and other similar words that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on an assessment of present economic and operating conditions, and on a number of assumptions regarding future events and actions that, as at the date of this announcement, are considered reasonable. Such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, the Directors and the management. The Directors cannot and do not give any assurance that the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement will actually occur and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Directors have no intention to update or revise forward looking statements, or to publish prospective financial information in the future, regardless of whether new information, future events or any other factors affect the information contained in this announcement, except where required by law or the ASX listing rules.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Firebird Metals Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
18 June
Element 25 Secures AU$50 Million Debt Facility for Butcherbird Manganese Project
The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility is providing a senior debt facility of up to AU$50 million for Element 25’s (ASX:E25,OTCQX:ELMTF) Butcherbird manganese expansion project.
Element 25 announced on Tuesday (June 17) that it will receive AU$42.5 million in senior debt funding, with an additional AU$7.5 million set aside for cost overruns. The money will support the company’s plans to expand Butcherbird's manganese oxide concentrate production capacity to 1.1 million tonnes per annum.
“Securing this support from the Federal Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility reaffirms the government’s commitment to developing Australia’s critical minerals sector and Butcherbird’s importance to Australia and the Pilbara region of Western Australia,” said Element 25 Managing Director Justin Brown.
In November 2024, Element 25 reported a 142 percent increase in the measured and indicated resources at Butcherbird. The total now stands at 130 million tonnes grading 10.23 percent manganese.
Based on data presented at the time, the site hosts a total resource of 274 million tonnes at 10 percent manganese, marking a 6 percent increase from its 263 million tonne resource estimate from April 2019.
Butcherbird is located approximately 130 kilometres south of Newman in Western Australia, and according to Element 25 is the country’s largest onshore manganese resource.
Element 25 is also planning to build a battery-grade high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate refinery in Louisiana, US. It received a US$166 million grant for the refinery from the US Department of Energy last September.
The company has received all necessary approvals for Butcherbird, with final statuary approval given by Western Australia’s Department of Water and Environmental Regulation this past March.
The company secured works approval for the project's mining proposal and mine closure plan from Western Australia’s Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety in January.
The AU$50 million senior debt facility is subject to customary legal due diligence and the execution of formal contracts.
Element 25 is working on a detailed project execution plan and aims to deliver Butcherbird in 2026.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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01 May
Top 5 Manganese Reserves by Country
Manganese, a key ingredient for the steel market, is also seeing growth in demand from the electric vehicle battery sector, particularly when it comes to high-purity manganese chemical products.
Manganese investors are often interested to hear which countries produce the most of the metal. After all, if a nation is producing a lot of manganese, many companies are likely operating there, and investment opportunities may thus be available.
However, what investors sometimes fail to consider is manganese reserves, or how much economically mineable manganese a country holds, and which companies are working to bring those reserves into production.
CRU Group told the Investing News Network that there are numerous manganese mining, processing and refining projects under development outside of China. However, many are a few years off from commercial production.
Here’s an overview of the five countries with the highest manganese reserves. Data for this list of manganese reserves by country comes from the US Geological Survey's 2025 report on manganese.
1. South Africa
Manganese reserves: 560 million metric tons
At 560 million metric tons, South Africa holds the highest manganese reserves in the world by a long shot. The nation is also the world's top producer of the metal, with 2024 output of 7.4 million metric tons.
South32 (ASX:S32,LSE:S32,OTC Pink:SHTLF) is a major presence in the South African manganese space. Its South Africa Manganese operation is located in the manganese-rich Kalahari Basin and consists of the open-pit Mamatwan mine, the underground Wessels mine and the Metalloys manganese alloy smelter.
Another ASX-listed manganese miner, Jupiter Mines (ASX:JMS,OTC Pink:JMXXF) is also operating in the area at its Tshipi Borwa mine, considered the largest manganese mine in country and one of the largest in the world.
2. China
Manganese reserves: 280 million metric tons
The country with the next highest manganese reserves is China at 280 million metric tons of manganese. The Asian nation is also the sixth largest producer of manganese ore, the largest producer of refined manganese and the largest consumer of the metal. Unsurprisingly, China's economy and government regulations have an outsized impact on the global manganese market.
There have been several significant manganese discoveries in China over the last decade. In late 2023, new manganese deposits were discovered in the southeast province of Jiangxi during government-led exploration work, and manganese deposits were discovered in the southwest province of Guizhou in 2017. More recently, in March 2025, Chinese government geologists confirmed an inferred resource estimate of 6.07 million tons of manganese ore in the Maowanli manganese project in the Sichuan province.
Looking further down the value added chain, Australian miner Firebird Metals (ASX:FRB,OTC Pink:FRBMF) has partnered with a subsidiary of China National Chemical Engineering Co. (SHA:601117) to build a high-purity manganese sulphate plant in China, which has entered pilot production. Firebird has an ore supply agreement in place with Eramet (EPA:ERA) for manganese ore to feed the plant, and it could potentially be supplied by Firebird's Oakover manganese project in Australia in the future.
3. Brazil
Manganese reserves: 270 million metric tons
Brazil hosts a total of 270 million metric tons of manganese reserves as of 2024. The country produced 590,000 metric tons of the metal in 2024, making it the seventh-largest manganese-producing country.
Buritirama Mining, a subsidiary of Grupo Buritipar, is Brazil's leading producer of the metal. The company invested US$200 million in 2023 to expand operations at its Para state mine.
Major miner Vale (NYSE:VALE), previously the largest manganese miner in the country, offloaded its Brazilian manganese and iron ore assets to J&F Investimentos in 2022. Going forward, J&F has said it plans to invest more than US$1 billion in increasing the iron ore and manganese output from the mines it purchased from Vale.
4. Australia
Manganese reserves: 110 million metric tons
At 110 million metric tons, Australia holds the fourth highest manganese reserves in the world. The nation is also the world's third largest producer of the metal. In 2024, Australia's manganese output came in at 2.8 million metric tons.
Australia’s largest manganese ore producer is Groote Eylandt, a 60/40 joint venture between South32 and Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF), in the nation's Northern Territory. In mid-March 2024, operations at Groote Eylandt were negatively impacted by Tropical Cyclone Meghan — the second strongest cyclone to hit the area in the past two decades.
The storm damaged critical infrastructure at the site, including a haulage bridge between the mine and processing facilities, as well as the wharf from which manganese ore is shipped. South32 is currently conducting engineering studies to determine a schedule and capital costs to make the repairs needed to restore operations at Groote Eylandt.
As of mid-April 2025, South32 had completed construction at the wharf and expected to start export sales again in May.
5. Gabon
Manganese reserves: 61 million metric tons
Gabon hosts the fifth largest manganese reserves in the world at 61 million metric tons; however, the Central African nation is the second largest producer of the metal with an output of 4.6 million metric tons in 2024.
Gabon is also the largest source of US manganese imports at 63 percent in 2024 compared to 23 percent from South Africa.
Eramet’s Moanda mine is a centerstone of the country’s manganese mining sector and it is based on one of the world's richest manganese deposits. Eramet is the world’s second largest miner of high-grade manganese ore and operates the mine through its subsidiary COMILOG. In response to an oversupplied market, Eramet temporarily paused production at Moanda in the fourth quarter of 2024, but it has since recommenced.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates.
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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04 April
Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Euro Manganese Surges 82 Percent
Welcome to the Investing News Network's weekly look at the best-performing Canadian mining stocks on the TSX, TSXV and CSE, starting with a round-up of Canadian and US news impacting the resource sector.
US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping round of tariffs on Wednesday (April 2), including 10 percent on most countries along with more specific import fees directed at specific countries in an attempt to balance trade deficits.
Canada and Mexico were spared under the USMCA deal signed by Trump in 2019, with the exception of non-USMCA-compliant vehicles, which are subject to a 25 percent tariff. This sparked a 25 percent retaliatory tariff from Canada.
The uncertainty over the application of tariffs caused some automakers, like Ford (NYSE:F) and Stellantis (NYSE:STLA), to announce family pricing to encourage consumers to make purchases before car prices rise. Stellantis also halted production at plants in Canada and Mexico and temporarily laid off 900 workers.
Statistics Canada released its March jobs report on Friday (April 4). Its data showed that Canada’s labor market lost 33,000 jobs during the month. The most significant decline occurred in wholesale and retail trade, which shed 29,000 jobs, followed by information, culture and recreation, which dropped by 20,000.
Meanwhile, personal and repair services added 12,000 new positions, while utilities gained 4,200 workers. Overall, the unemployment rate climbed 0.1 percent to 6.7 percent.
South of the border, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics announced a significant increase in the non-farm payroll in March.
The report indicated that the US added 228,000 jobs to the economy, significantly higher than the 117,000 jobs added in February and the 140,000 expected by economists. The largest gains in employment occurred in the healthcare sector, which added 54,000 new jobs, while both the social assistance and retail sectors contributed 24,000 jobs each.
The report also indicated a further decline of 4,000 jobs in the federal government, following a loss of 11,000 in February. Mass layoffs of federal employees by the Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency are not yet fully reflected in the jobs data. Many of the over 280,000 employees whose jobs are being cut are currently on administrative leave or accepted severance deals, Bloomberg reported, meaning the bureau still counts them as employed.
The unemployment rate and participation rate held steady at 4.2 and 62.5 percent respectively.
Markets and commodities react
Global equity markets were in steep decline following the Trump administration’s tariff announcements on Wednesday.
In Canada, The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) fell 5.67 percent during the week to close at 23,277.79 on Friday, the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) decreased 8.31 percent to 575.91 and the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) dropped 9.23 percent to 108.95.
US equity markets did not fare any better, with the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) losing 8.21 percent to close at 5,074.09, the Nasdaq 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) dropping 7.36 percent to 17,570.21 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) shedding 7.41 percent to 38,314.85.
Precious metals also closed the week in the red. Although the gold price briefly hitting a new high of US$3,167.71 per ounce on Wednesday, it plunged on Friday to close the week down 1.56 percent at US$3,038.04. The silver price declined sharply, losing 12.92 percent during the period to US$29.69.
In base metals, the COMEX copper price plunged 14.17 percent over the week to US$4.42 per pound. Meanwhile, the S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) lost 6.75 percent to close at 522.69.
Top Canadian mining stocks this week
So how did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?
Here's a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.
Stock data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView's stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Companies within the non-energy minerals and energy minerals sectors were considered.
1. Euro Manganese (TSXV:EMN)
Weekly gain: 81.82 percent
Market cap: C$40.27 million
Share price: C$0.50
Euro Manganese is a manganese development company working to advance its Chvaletice waste recycling project. The operation is focused on extracting manganese from tailings that are part of a decommissioned mine site near Prague, Czechia. As part of the project's scope, the company says it will carry out remediation and reclamation work to bring the site into compliance with environmental regulations.
A 2022 feasibility study for the Chvaletice project indicates that it will produce 48,000 metric tons of manganese per year and is expected to have a project life of 25 years. In the study, the company reports a post-tax net present value of US$1.3 billion with an internal rate of return of 22 percent and a payback period of 4 years.
The latest project news was announced on March 25, when Euro revealed that Chvaletice had been designated a strategic project under the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act. According to the terms of the act, the project will gain access to both private and public funding opportunities, as well as a more streamlined permitting process.
Shares in Euro experienced significant gains this week after the company announced on March 30 that it would proceed with a share consolidation at a ratio of five to one. The consolidation occurred on Monday (March 31), reducing the number of common shares to 80.53 million from 402.67 million, and post-consolidation shares began trading on April 2.
The company also announced on April 1 that it would be upsizing a financing round up to C$11.2 million and would include a C$3 million private placement with former Sprott (TSX:SII,NYSE:SII) Chairman Eric Sprott. Proceeds generated from the financing will be used to support development at Chvaletice.
2. DLP Resources (TSXV:DLP)
Weekly gain: 60 percent
Market cap: C$61.08 million
Share price: C$0.44
DLP Resources is an explorer focused on advancing its flagship Aurora copper-molybdenum project in Peru.
The 8,500 hectare site is located in the Central Andes. Exploration work has been performed at the site since the early 2000s, with DLP conducting drill programs in 2023 and 2024.
Shares in DLP have been rising since the release of a technical report for Aurora on February 27, which included a maiden resource estimate with significant copper and molybdenum spread over two zones.
The inferred resource totals 1.05 billion metric tons of ore containing 4.65 billion pounds of copper, 1.1 billion pounds of molybdenum and 80 million ounces of silver. The resource has average grades of 0.2 percent copper, 0.05 percent molybdenum and 2.4 grams per metric ton silver.
The company said it is pleased with the size and results of the report and will continue drilling the site to upgrade the resource ahead of a preliminary economic assessment.
DLP shares also got a boost this week after it released its management’s discussion and analysis for the nine months ended on January 31. It discusses the firm's activity for the period, highlighting its recent resource estimate, as well as the completion of a non-brokered private placement in January for proceeds of C$1.36 million.
3. Noram Lithium (TSXV:NRM)
Weekly gain: 35 percent
Market cap: C$12.08 million
Share price: C$0.135
Noram Lithium is an exploration and development company focused on advancing its Zeus lithium project in Nevada, US. The property, located near Clayton Valley, comprises 146 placer and 136 lode claims covering 1,133 hectares in a region with existing lithium brine operations since 1967. Noram has been exploring the site since 2016.
Its most recent update came on June 11, when the company released an updated resource estimate, reporting an indicated resource of 564 million metric tons (MT) at a concentration of 956 parts per million (ppm), resulting in 2.9 million MT of contained lithium carbonate equivalent. Zeus' inferred resource stands at 1.3 million MT of contained lithium carbonate equivalent from 287 million MT grading 861 ppm lithium.
Shares in Noram rose this week, but the company did not publish any news.
4. Maple Gold Mines (TSXV:MGM)
Weekly gain: 31.82 percent
Market cap: C$34.11 million
Share price: C$0.07
Maple Gold Mines is a gold exploration company focused on the advancement of its Douay and Joutel projects located in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in Québec, Canada.
The Douay project covers an area of 357 square kilometers. In a 2022 technical report, the company said the site hosts an indicated resource of 511,000 ounces of gold from 10 million metric tons with an average grade of 1.59 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold, with an additional inferred resource of 2.53 million ounces from 76.7 million metric tons at 1.02 g/t.
Joutel covers an area of 39 square kilometers and is located directly south of Douay. The site hosts Agnico Eagle Mines' (TSX:AEM,NYSE:AEM) past-producing Eagle-Telbel gold mine, which operated from 1974 to 1993. To date, the company has used 250,000 meters of historic drill results to create 3D models to aid in current exploration efforts.
The most recent news from the project came on Thursday when Maple announced recent exploration at Douay’s Nika zone produced a broad mineralized interval of 2.05 g/t gold over 108.6 meters, which included an intersection of 4.93 g/t over 17 meters, from a vertical depth of 490 meters.
The company said the results build on previously identified mineralization from shallower depths and defines a new high-grade, bulk-tonnage target that remains open in multiple directions.
5. Stillwater Critical Minerals (TSXV:PGE)
Weekly gain: 25 percent
Market cap: C$38.43 million
Share price: C$0.15
Stillwater Critical Minerals is an exploration company focused on advancing its flagship Stillwater West project in Montana, US. The brownfield project hosts several multi-kilometer exploration targets with known mineralization deposits of nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum group metals and gold.
A resource estimate included in a January 2023 technical report demonstrated an inferred estimate of 1.05 million pounds of nickel, 499 million pounds of copper, 91 million pounds of cobalt, and a combined 3.811 million ounces of platinum group metals and gold from 254.8 million metric tons of ore with a nickel equivalent cut-off grade of 0.2 percent.
The most recent news from the project came on March 26 when Stillwater reported it had identified multiple large-scale targets from its 2024 geophysical survey. The company said the survey improved the resolution of known targets while identifying unknown targets occurring near surface to a depth of 1.5 kilometers.
Shares have also been bolstered by the recent executive order from President Trump that will help to speed up project permitting for critical minerals projects.
In a March 24 announcement, Stillwater President and CEO Michael Rowley commented, “The order also makes a point of listing copper and gold. This is very relevant to Stillwater because we have a very large polymetallic resource that positions us with a substantial copper inventory and the largest nickel project in an active US mining district.”
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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03 April
Element25 Completes Scoping Study for Tokyo Bay HPMSM Facility
Element25 (ASX:E25,OTCQX:ELMTF) said on Wednesday (April 2) that it has finished a scoping study for its planned Tokyo Bay high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) facility in Japan.
The study was completed as part of Element25's memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Nissan Chemical (TSE:4021) and its subsidiary, NC Tokyo Bay. It confirms the facility's feasibility, with no fatal flaws detected.
Factors included in the study were permitting, logistics, reagent supply and labour, plus capital and operating costs. The facility is set to be located at an existing site owned by NC Tokyo Bay in Chiba prefecture, Japan.
The companies now plan to make a more detailed investigation of the project.
They are targeting a final investment decision by June 2026, and their MOU outlines a variety of steps that will help them determine their path forward, including the finalisation of offtake deals and project financing.
Independently, Element25 has been making progress at its first HPMSM facility in Louisiana, US. The facility is planned to encompass 230,00 square feet with annual production of 71,650 tonnes of HPMSM.
In September 2024, the Louisiana facility was selected to receive a US$166 million grant from the US Department of Energy’s Battery Materials Processing Grant Program. This money was on top of US$115 million that Element25 has secured from offtake partners General Motors (NYSE:GM) and Stellantis (NYSE:STLA). According to the company, the facility will be one of the first HPMSM-producing commercial facilities in the US, reducing the country’s reliance on China.
Earlier this year, Element25 also secured approval to expand its Western Australian Butcherbird manganese mine.
The company said all other required approvals and access agreements, such as water abstraction, heritage clearances, Native Title and pastoral agreements, are in place and established from Stage 1 operations at Butcherbird.
Once everything is in place, manganese ore from Butcherbird will be shipped to the HPMSM facility in Louisiana.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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18 March
Top 9 Manganese-producing Countries
Market volatility has become the norm for the top manganese-producing countries in recent years.
In April 2024, manganese prices leaped upward in the second quarter due to Tropical Cyclone Megan significantly damaging the Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO) manganese mine in Australia. However, a surge in alternative supplies and the weak state of Chinese demand caused prices to pull back to their original level by September.
Manganese prices have remained flat in the first quarter or 2025. Looking forward, analysts are pinning further support for manganese prices on China's ability to right its economic ship. While the majority of manganese supply goes to the steel industry, there's also much to be said for the metal's use in lithium-ion batteries as the green energy transition progresses.
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence projects that demand for manganese will increase by eight-fold between 2020 and 2030 on rising demand for electric vehicle batteries.
What are the uses of manganese?
The steel industry is the primary end user of manganese metal, consuming it as an alloy to enhance the strength and workability of the key construction material. Manganese is also mixed with aluminum to manufacture tin cans.
Aside from that crucial application, manganese dioxide and manganese oxide are often used as cathode materials in the production of zinc-carbon and alkaline batteries. Additionally, after crude oil is refined, manganese may be used as an additive to help coat and protect a car’s engine.
And, as mentioned, one of the most promising uses of manganese is in the lithium-ion battery sector. The silvery metal is used in lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries, which have improved energy loading and lifespan. Batteries using this mineral composition are in high demand in the electric vehicle sector. Manganese is also being added to lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries to make lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) batteries, increasing their energy density, capacity and low-temperature performance.
Manganese production by country
The Investing News Network has compiled an overview of the nine top manganese producers by country in 2024. As the manganese market continues to develop, it’s useful to learn about the top manganese-producing countries, including the three highest producers: South Africa, Gabon and Australia.
South Africa is particularly notable, as it is the source of 37 percent of the manganese production in the world. Interestingly, South Africa is also home to almost 33 percent of global economic manganese mineral reserves, although many other countries are significant manganese producers with sizeable reserves.
All stats on manganese production by country are taken from the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) most recent report on the metal and mine data is sourced from MiningDataOnline.
1. South Africa
Manganese production: 7.4 million metric tons
Manganese reserves: 560 million metric tons
South Africa, the world’s largest producer of manganese in the world by far, produced 7.4 million metric tons of manganese in 2024, up 200,000 MT compared to 2023. The country also holds the largest reserves of manganese at 560 million metric tons and 70 percent of the world’s known manganese ore resources.
South32 (ASX:S32,OTC Pink:SHTLF) is a major presence in the South African manganese industry. The diversified miner also produces bauxite, alumina and thermal and metallurgical coal, as well as other in-demand minerals.
The company holds a 44 percent indirect interest in the South Africa Manganese operation in the manganese-rich Kalahari Basin alongside joint venture partner Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF) at 29.6 percent. The operations consist of the open-pit Mamatwan mine and the underground Wessels mine.
Jupiter Mines (ASX:JMS) is also operating in the area at its 49.9 percent owned Tshipi Borwa mine. Tshipi Borwa is considered the largest manganese mine in South Africa and one of the five largest in the world.
2. Gabon
Manganese production: 4.6 million metric tons
Gabon's manganese production in 2024 was 4.6 million metric tons, making it the second highest manganese-producing country. Located on the central-western coast of Africa, Gabon was the origin of 63 percent of US manganese ore imports in 2024.
Moanda is a key manganese operation in the country. Eramet (EPA:ERA), the world’s second largest miner of high-grade manganese ore, operates the mine through its subsidiary COMILOG. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Eramet temporarily paused production at Moanda in reaction to market oversupply.
3. Australia
Manganese production: 2.8 million metric tons
Australia’s manganese production in 2024 was 2.8 million metric tons of manganese, just below 2023's 2.86 million MT.
As the largest producer of manganese ore, South32 has a 60 percent stake in the GEMCO manganese operations in the Northern Territory. The open-cut manganese mine is one of the world’s lowest-cost manganese ore producers. Anglo American holds the other 40 percent interest in GEMCO.
South32 anticipates the damage to its wharf operations brought on by Tropical Cyclone Megan will restrict export sales until at least the first quarter of the 2025 calendar year.
South32 and Anglo American previously owned the Tasmanian Electro Metallurgical Company (TEMCO) alloy smelter, but sold the facility to GFG Alliance in 2021.
4. Ghana
Manganese production: 820,000 metric tons
In 2024, Ghana produced 820,000 metric tons of manganese, slightly up from the prior year. Most manganese mined in Ghana comes from the western region around the city of Takoradi.
Consolidated Minerals, better known as Consmin, holds a 90 percent stake in Ghana Manganese Company, which runs the Nsuta mine. Consmin, a subsidiary of Ningxia Tianyuan Manganese Industry (TMI), is one of the four largest producers of manganese in the world by volume.
Manganese ore from the operation was traditionally destined for the electrolytic manganese metal market, much of it as captive supply for TMI’s China-based operations.
5. India
Manganese production: 800,000 metric tons
In 2024, India produced 800,000 metric tons of manganese metal, up 56,000 MT year-over-year.
As with China and Brazil, India is one of the leaders in manganese consumption. The vast majority of India’s manganese goes to the production of steel.
State-owned MOIL is India's largest manganese producer and controls the country's only electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) manufacturing plant. In its fiscal 2023/2024, which runs from April to March, MOIL posted all-time high manganese ore production of 1.76 million MT. In the first nine months of its fiscal 2024/2025 period, MOIL reported 1.33 million MT of manganese ore production.
6. China
Manganese production: 770,000 metric tons
China manganese production in 2024 was 770,000 metric tons of the metal, just over its production from 2023. However, it remains a sizeable decrease from the 1.34 million MT of manganese China produced in 2020. Much of this decline can be attributed to COVID-19-related disruptions and more recently production cuts on lower demand from the country's property sector.
As mentioned, the country is not only a player in manganese ore production, but also a major consumer of manganese as it uses large amounts of the metal in steelmaking.
Several large manganese ore deposits were reportedly discovered in Guizhou province in 2017, but have yet to be advanced. They are not counted by the US Geological Survey, which places China’s economic manganese reserves at 280,000 metric tons — the second largest globally.
Firebird Metals (ASX:FRB,OTC Pink:FRBMF) is partnering with a Chinese company to build a high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate plant in China that will provide materials for the EV battery industry.
7. Brazil
Manganese production: 590,000 metric tons
Brazil produced 590,000 metric tons of manganese in 2024, 2,000 MT higher than its output in 2023.
Major miner Vale (NYSE:VALE) was previously the largest manganese miner in the country, accounting for 70 percent of the market. However, in 2022 the company offloaded its Center-West manganese and iron ore assets in Brazil to J&F Investimentos, whose subsidiary Lhg Mining now operates them.
In the first half of 2023, Lhg announced it had resumed manganese operations at the Urucum underground mine in Brazil. In October of that year, J&F shared plans in its budget to invest US$1 billion in the iron and manganese operations.
Buritirama Mining, a subsidiary of Grupo Buritipar, is another large manganese producer in Brazil. The company plans to make a significant investment of US$200 million to expand operations at its Para state mine.
8. Malaysia
Manganese production: 410,000 metric tons
Malaysia produced 410,000 metric tons of manganese in 2024, on par with the previous year. The country recently emerged on the scene as a new hub for manganese ferroalloy production.
Malaysia’s ferromanganese production accounts for 24 percent of US imports, as per the USGS. OM Sarawak, a subsidiary of Singapore-based manganese and silicon metals company OM Holdings (ASX:OMH,OTCQX:OMHI), owns a ferrosilicon and manganese alloy smelter in Malaysia. The smelting complex produced 317,995 MT of manganese alloy in 2024.
9. Côte d’Ivoire
Manganese production: 360,000 metric tons
The West African nation of Côte d’Ivoire produced 360,000 metric tons of manganese in 2024, nearly on par with the 357,000 MT produced in 2023. The country has ramped up its manganese production significantly in the last decade, peaking at 525,000 MT in 2020.
According to Côte d’Ivoire's Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development, there are four operating manganese mines as of 2024: Bondoukou, Guitry, Kaniasso and Lagnonkaha.
The majority of Côte d’Ivoire's manganese exports make their way to steel-producing giant China, followed by India and Latvia.
FAQs for manganese
Is manganese a metal?
Manganese is considered an important industrial metal. With the atomic number 25, it is a hard, brittle, silvery metal that is only second to iron among the transition elements in its abundance in Earth’s crust.
What function does manganese dioxide have in batteries?
Manganese dioxide has long been used as a depolarizer in alkaline batteries, but this is not the manganese battery market that is now the most interesting. Attention is being drawn to lithium-ion battery chemistries that require manganese — such as lithium-manganese oxide batteries and lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide batteries.
In these batteries, electrolytic manganese dioxide is used as a cathode material. Investors who believe battery sector demand for manganese will increase are optimistic that lithium-ion batteries that require manganese will become more common in the future.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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05 March
Firebird Metals Announces First Production of LMFP Batteries for EVs
Western Australia-focused manganese developer Firebird Metals (ASX:FRB) has started testwork and produced its first lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).
The company said in a Tuesday (March 4) press release that it is the first Australian company to achieve this milestone, adding that it is set to become a low-cost manganese-based cathode material business.
“Manganese sulphate is a critical element within LMFP and our manganese processing knowledge and IP enables Firebird to drive significant value by co-precipitation,” said Firebird Managing Director Peter Allen.
The company announced a strategic collaboration with Central South University in Changsha, the capital city of China's Hunan province, this past October. It is conducting the testwork under this agreement.
“We expect our process to translate into substantial cost advantages in sulphate production by bypassing the manganese sulphate crystallisation process, which is the largest component of our operating cost,” said Allen.
A few non-Chinese companies are able to produce LMFP, but most supply comes from China given its domestic manufacturers and technological advancements. In fact, the world’s first LMFP project was commissioned in Quijing, Yunnan in 2022. It is run by Shenzhen Dynanonic (SZSE:300769) and has a capacity of 110,000 tonnes per year.
In January, China announced plans to limit exports of LFP and LMFP processing technologies. According to BEST Magazine, analysts said the move was partly a response to planned US tariffs on imports from China.
In October of last year, UK-based material powers company Integral Power said it had made a breakthrough in LMFP cathode active materials for battery cells. The company said its work could increase EV range by up to 20 percent.
Moving forward, Firebird said it is “well-positioned to deliver” on its LMFP production strategy through its sector-leading manganese team and its proposed tier-one manganese sulphate plant.
So far five batches of LMFP cathode material have been tested, with plans to test 100 batches. Each batch will be turned into LMFP button batteries, with testwork results being used to complete a scoping study.
Shares of the company rose 7.6 percent to AU$0.099 after Tuesday's announcement.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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