Merafe Resources has reported a significant decline in its attributable ferrochrome production from the Glencore Merafe Chrome Venture for the year ended 31 December 2025.
Production for the year fell to 112, 000 tonnes, a decrease of approximately 63% from the 301, 000 tonnes produced in the 2024 comparative period.
The company attributed the sharp reduction primarily to the suspension of production at the Venture's smelters due to adverse market conditions.
The fourth quarter of 2025 was particularly weak, with attributable ferrochrome output at just 100 tonnes, compared to 70, 000 tonnes in the same quarter of 2024.
In contrast, the decline in chrome ore production was more modest. Annual attributable output decreased by 2% to 932 000 tonnes from 948, 000 tonnes a year earlier, which the company said was mainly due to temporary equipment breakdowns. Fourth-quarter ore production was 222, 000 tonnes, up slightly from 216, 000 tonnes in the prior year's quarter.
The Venture's attributable platinum group metals (PGMs) concentrate production showed a slight improvement, increasing by 5% to 15 000 ounces for the full year compared to 14, 000 ounces in 2024. Fourth-quarter PGMs production was 4,000 ounces, up from 3,000 ounces in the fourth quarter of 2024, driven by higher feed tonnages.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor-In-Chief, Rough & Polished
