Metalpedia
Metalpedia
  • United Manganese of Kalahari (UMK): major events
  • UMK "comes of age" as it opens final infrastructure
  • manganese ore productionUnited Manganese of Kalahari (UMK) had "come of age" as it unveiled its now fully operational manganese mine, near Hotazel in May 2013, less than 10 years after the formation of its joint venture (JV).
  • The R1.2-billion mine, developed by a 49:51 JV between Russia-based Renova Manganese Investment and fully black-owned and -controlled consortium Majestic Silver Trading, officially opened the last infrastructure of the mine–its newly built offices and warehouse on May 22nd 2013.
  • Speaking at the launch in the Northern Cape, UMK chairperson Lazarus Mbethe said that the occasion had also marked a shift as the operation became the world's third-largest manganese producing mine. The group ramped up ore production from 1.5 million tons in 2010, to over 2.7 million tons last year, becoming what Mbethe described as the Northern Cape's–and South Africa's–"real success story". CEO Johan Kriek believed that it could ultimately reach 4 million tons a year.
  • Renova puts up to $400 million in South Africa manganese business
  • The Renova group of companies has already invested as much as $400 million in the United Manganese of Kalahari manganese deposit in the Republic of South Africa by 2012, member of the Renova supervisory board Vladimir Kremer, who oversees the development of the group's business in the republic, said during an interview given to Interfax. That sum included investment in UMK and expenditures on the purchase of, and modernization of, the manganese alloy and ferrosilicate plant Transalloys.
  • Russia's Renova launched South Africa manganese mine
  • Industrial giant Renova, controlled by Russian tycoon Viktor Vekselberg, said on Mar 22, 2011 that its joint venture in South Africa had launched a manganese mine to speed up tapping the country's huge mineral resources.
  • It said in a statement the venture, the United Manganese of Kalahari, in which Renova holds 49 percent, aimed to supply to the market this year 1.8 million tons of the metal.
  • UMK's deposit is estimated to hold 282 million tons of manganese, of which 41.3 million tons are proven reserves, the statement said. So far, UMK has invested $200 million in the project.
  • Russian-SA manganese project awarded mining license
  • United Manganese of Kalahari won a mining license in 2008 for a $200 million manganese project that would take two years to build and have the capacity to produce 1.5 million tons of ore per year.
  • Renova said on its Web site it owns 49 percent of United Manganese of Kalahari, while 51 percent is owned by companies representing interests of local South African groups. Renova and its partners bought the Transalloys ferro-alloy plant in South Africa in 2007. Renova planned to invest around $1 billion in buying ore deposits and processing plants as well as building infrastructure to fulfill the company's plans in manganese.
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