Manganese Metal Company to Expand Processing Facilities amid Growth of Electric Vehicles

In Mbombela’s industrial complex in South Africa, truckloads of ore containing abundant mineral manganese arrive daily from mines in Kalahari Basin for processing. Although widely available on Earth, only 2% of the country’s manganese is processed locally according to estimates by International Manganese Institute (IMI). The Manganese Metal Company aims to fill this gap as it receives around 80,000 metric tons annually for electrolytic manganese metal production. CEO Louis Nel notes that over the past decade there has been a significant rise in demand for refined manganese due partly to the increasing popularity of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs). With growing EV sales worldwide, raw materials and battery manufacturing requirements are surging; manganese is crucial for these products. The International Energy Agency’s data indicates that automotive lithium-ion battery demand increased by 65% last year due to rising EV adoption rates. While most manganese applications lie in the steel industry, IMI states that less than 2% of this mineral finds usage as an element for batteries – out which a meagre portion is applied in rechargeable battery technology (1%). Creating lithium-ion batteries from manganese compounds presents difficulties since high purity chemicals are required. The majority, approximately 90%, of these materials are processed in China; however, there’s an increasing push to construct chemical processing facilities elsewhere worldwide. Aloys d’Harambure, executive director of the International Manganese Institute highlights that electricity pricing challenges and instabilities related to power production hinder manganese chemistry generation activities within South Africa despite its considerable mineral resources in this sector; yet there is optimism from some local producers about capitalising on EV boom prospects. The company intends to construct a $25m commercial plant capable of producing 5,000 metric tons annually of battery-grade manganese sulfate in accordance with future global electric storage patterns forecasting large and lucrative consumer volumes ahead within green sectors which present attractive demand windows for this strategic metal.