JOHANNESBURG – Close to half a century of local manganese mastery by Manganese Metal Company of Mpumalanga is placing South Africa – a manganese mining and refining country – in pole position, amid a flurry of global high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate projects, to meet upcoming battery demand.
Although non-Chinese manganese sulphate would require a premium, the overall effect on battery cell cost would likely be limited, with the material representing a relatively minor input cost in battery chemistries. Manganese Metal Company’s production of high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate, together with its lower price, will be using only renewable energy, giving it substantially lower carbon intensity.Increased manganese sulphate monohydrate production will have insignificant impact on total demand for manganese ore and no new manganese mines are needed.