Ferro Chrome

Ferrochrome – Up or Down?

by Stuart Burns on August 1, 2011

Style:    Category: Commodities, Ferro Alloys, Supply & Demand

Keywords: , , ,

We often look to nickel to judge the direction of the stainless market. Likewise, when looking at nickel, almost always refer to the stainless market to discern direction. The two are inextricably linked within our view of the high end of the steel market, but in practice, more stainless is produced with purely chrome alloying [...]

{ 0 comments }

Ferro Chrome – Where to Next?

by Stuart Burns on February 10, 2011

Style:    Category: Ferro Alloys, Supply & Demand

Keywords: , , ,

As with many of the ferro alloys, ferro chrome (FeCr) is at least in part a power play. Electricity makes up a significant percentage of the final product cost but so do coal prices, or to be precise, coking coal prices. Coking coal and electricity are required to reduce a chrome ore, generally chromite (an [...]

{ 1 comment }

An LME Ferro-Chrome Contract? Not Just Yet

by Stuart Burns on September 14, 2010

Style:    Category: Ferro Alloys, Minor Metals

Keywords: , , ,

The debate about adding ferro-chrome as an LME contract is not as far fetched as it may first sound. As Roskill advises, the stainless steel industry is by far the largest consumer of ferro-chrome. The industry is dominated by just three countries of supply – South Africa, Kazakhstan and India, with South Africa by far [...]

{ 3 comments }

Electricity Price Hikes will Increase Ferro Chrome Prices in 2010 and Beyond

by Stuart Burns on March 2, 2010

Style:    Category: Ferro Alloys

Keywords: , ,

Near bankrupt Eskom, state owned producer of over 95% of the electricity in South Africa has won agreement to increase power prices over the next three years. Although Eskom was seeking a 35%per annum increase, the firm has secured agreement for rate hikes of 24.8% in 2010, 25.8% in 2011 and 25.9% in 2012. Compounded [...]

{ 0 comments }

Stainless Loses Its Luster

by Stuart Burns on April 9, 2008

Style:    Category: Ferrous Metals, Global Trade, Supply & Demand

Keywords: , , , , , ,

With both global prices and sales of steel steaming away over the last twelve months, the sometimes overlooked stainless market has been quietly contracting. The market contracted by 2.9% in terms of production last year to 27.6 million tons according to the International Stainless Forum. But the reasons for the decline – a sharp fall [...]

{ 1 comment }

Ferro Chrome on the Rise!

by Lisa Reisman on February 4, 2008

Style:    Category: Commodities, Ferro Alloys, Global Trade, Supply & Demand

Keywords: ,

The papers are all worrying about the power shortages being experienced in South Africa and reporting with various levels of alarm the likely impact on the price of precious metals, base metals, Ferro alloys and the stock of companies producing these materials. The reality is the recent outages in South Africa were a disaster waiting [...]

{ 1 comment }