Glencore-Merafe Suspends Operations at Lion Ferrochrome Smelter

Published: Jun 6, 2025 15:52

Save

On June 4, 2025, Merafe Resources (Merafe) disclosed externally that its ferrochrome smelter, Lion, with an annual capacity of 720,000 mt, had been closed as of May 31, 2025. The planned closure period exceeds three months, and the reason for the closure is the expansion of ferrochrome capacity in China, which would put pressure on the company's operations if smelting continued. Additionally, in its Q1 2025 quarterly report, Merafe had already announced the indefinite closure of Boshoek and the suspension of operations at Wonderkop. The closure of Lion signifies that all of Glencore-Merafe's ferrochrome smelting operations in South Africa have now ceased.

On June 4, 2025, Merafe Resources (Merafe) disclosed externally that its ferrochrome smelter, Lion, with an annual capacity of 720,000 mt, had been closed as of May 31, 2025. The planned closure period exceeds three months, and the reason for the closure is due to the expansion of ferrochrome capacity in China, which would put pressure on the company's operations if smelting continued. Additionally, in its Q1 2025 quarterly report, Merafe had already announced the indefinite closure of Boshoek and the suspension of operations at Wonderkop. The closure of Lion signifies that all of Glencore-Merafe's ferrochrome smelting operations in South Africa have now ceased.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

Feb 6, 2026 18:30

Before the holiday, the black chain is unlikely to see a trend-driven market [SMM Steel Industry Chain Weekly Report].

This week, ferrous metals were in the doldrums, with coking coal and coke staging a mid-week rise. At the beginning of the week, financial markets experienced sharp fluctuations, dragging down sentiment in the ferrous chain and leading to a pullback in futures. Mid-week, Indonesia's cut to coke production quotas drove coking coal and coke futures to lead the gains, though the impact was more pronounced on thermal coal, while coking coal's rise was largely sentiment-driven and short-lived. In the latter part of the week, finished products continued their seasonal inventory buildup, and support from the raw material side weakened, causing the entire ferrous chain to pull back. In the spot market, with the Chinese New Year holiday approaching, purchasing activity slowed down further, with end-users only making limited, as-needed purchases at low prices.

Feb 6, 2026 18:30

Feb 6, 2026 18:09

MMi Daily Iron Ore Report (February 6)

Today, the DCE iron ore futures continued to hit bottom today, with the most-traded contract I2605 closing at 760.5 yuan/mt, down 1.23% from the previous trading day. Spot prices fell by 5–10 yuan/mt compared to the previous trading day.

Feb 6, 2026 18:09

Feb 6, 2026 17:41

[SMM Chromium Daily Review] Inquiries and Transactions Weakened, Chromium Market Showed Mediocre Performance Before the Holiday

[SMM Chrome Daily Review: Trading and Inquiries Weakened, Chrome Market Showed Mediocre Performance Before the Holiday] February 6, 2026: Today, the ex-factory price of high-carbon ferrochrome in Inner Mongolia was 8,500-8,600 yuan/mt (50% metal content), flat MoM from the previous trading day...

Feb 6, 2026 17:41