Kunming Rongke won auction for 3,609 mt Fanya indium stockpile with 2.85 billion yuan bid

[SMM Titanium Flash] Kenmare Resources confirmed on 6 October that International Resources Holdings had submitted a non-binding proposal for a possible cash offer for all Kenmare shares. Discussions are continuing, but no price or firm offer has been announced. Under Irish takeover rules, IRH must state a firm intention to bid or withdraw by 17 November unless the deadline is extended. Kenmare operates Mozambique’s Moma mine, which produces titanium minerals including ilmenite and rutile. A change of ownership could affect future financing and development, but no acquisition has been agreed. Kenmare’s statement reported no change to Moma’s production plans.

South Africa’s ferrochrome industry faces a broader competitiveness challenge despite progress on electricity-cost relief, according to discussions at Project Blue’s Critical Materials Conference in Johannesburg on September 8–9, reported by Engineering News on October 9. The negotiated electricity tariff of around 62 cents/kWh for selected ferrochrome smelters, subject to regulatory approval, offers potential relief to producers facing high operating costs. However, industry participants stressed that lower power costs alone will not guarantee a sustained recovery, as logistics efficiency, plant performance, access to capital and policy certainty remain critical to the viability of domestic smelting. The challenge reflects a structural imbalance in the chromium value chain: South Africa remains a major chrome ore supplier, while China has become the leading ferrochrome producer, supported by processing scale and proximity to stainless-steel demand. A durable recovery in South African smelting therefore depends on whether tariff relief can be complemented by reliable transport, efficient operations and investment in existing capacity. For the chrome market, a sustained increase in domestic ferrochrome production could redirect some ore towards local furnaces rather than exports, although the scale and timing of any change will depend on actual smelter utilization and market conditions.