South Africa's African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) said on Tuesday that due to the ongoing low levels of carbon steel production subsidiary Assmang had shut down its No. 5 ferromanganese furnace.
The high carbon ferromanganese furnace with a capacity of about 55,000 tonnes per year was shut last Tuesday.
Furnaces 3 and 4 had already been closed, it said.
"These furnaces will be kept out of operation until market conditions warrant start up," ARM said in a statement.
The group's convertor for production of refined alloys, which has not produced since December 2008, would also remain closed and would be restarted as demand increases.
Assmang is jointly owned by ARM and Assore.
ARM said manganese ore markets were also weak and ore production was being reviewed on an ongoing basis.
ARM also said because of the global reduction in stainless steel production, two charge chrome furnaces in South Africa will operate until the end of May and thereafter all four furnaces will be shut down. Any furnace start ups will be dependent on market conditions.
Along with the reduction in ferrochrome production, chrome ore production at the firm's Dwarsrivier Chrome Mine will be scaled back, it said.
Source: Reuters
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