OM Sarawak owns a Ferroalloy Smelting Plant in the Samalaju Industrial Park in Sarawak, Malaysia (the “Plant”). The Plant consists of 8 main workshops with a total of 16 units of 25.5 MVA furnaces, of which 10 units are allocated for the production of FeSi and 6 units are allocated for the production of manganese alloys. The Plant has a design capacity to produce approximately 200,000 to 210,000 tonnes of FeSi and 250,000 to 300,000 tonnes of manganese alloys per annum. The Plant also consists of a sinter plant that has a design capacity to produce 250,000 tonnes of sinter ore per annum.

 

As at 31 March 2022, 12 out of 16 furnaces were in operation with 6 furnaces producing FeSi and 6 furnaces producing manganese alloys. Of the remaining 4 FeSi furnaces, 2 furnaces are undergoing conversion to produce manganese alloys (“FeSi - Manganese Alloys Conversion Project”) and another 2 furnaces are undergoing conversion to produce silicon metal (“FeSi – Silicon Metal Conversion Project”). 

 

Production output for the quarter ended 31 March 2022 was 33,925 tonnes of ferrosilicon (“FeSi”), 60,540 tonnes of manganese alloys (included silicomanganese (“SiMn”) and high carbon ferromanganese (“HCFeMn”)) and 25,647 tonnes of manganese sinter ore.

 

For the quarter ended 31 March 2022, production volumes for FeSi and manganese alloys decreased by 6.1% and 3.0% respectively as compared to the previous quarter.

 

A total of 30,718 tonnes of FeSi and 57,632 tonnes of manganese alloys were sold during the quarter ended 31 March 2022.

 

For the quarter ended 31 March 2022, sales volumes for FeSi and manganese alloys decreased by 11.0% and 0.9% respectively as compared to the previous quarter ended 31 December 2021. This was mainly attributed to export bulk shipments that were delayed at the end of March 2022.

 

FeSi price increased from US$2,110 to US$2,225 per metric tonne CIF Japan while SiMn price increased from US$1,535 to US$1,775 per metric tonne CIF Japan during the quarter ended 31 March 2022 

 

Manganese ore production of 18,071 tonnes with an average grade of 28.69% Mn for the quarter ended 31 March 2022

 

Manganese ore shipments of 85,296 tonnes with an average grade of 30.53% Mn for the quarter ended 31 March 2022

 

Scheduled major maintenance works will commence in June 2022. The Company’s smelting production guidance for the year remains unchanged.