Ferro-alloys - Metal Bulletin Store

Specialist session: Meeting room I
CHROME
11:00 Chairman’s opening remarks
11:05 Global outlook on the supply/demand balance of chrome and
ferro-chrome market
• Did the recent shut downs of capacity in South Africa really affect the
market? What will happen if South Africa gets stuck?
• High carbon ferro-chrome is going to longer term contracts, why is
no-one is interested in spot? Is it due to limited number of suppliers or
the market volatility?
• Is there an oversupply in the ferro-chrome market at the moment with the
sluggish stainless steel demand? What is the outlook for the future and
what is the trigger to change this situation?
• Is the current supply/demand balance supportive of the price increase in
the long term?
Robert Yuksel Yildrim, President & Chief Executive Officer,
Eti Krom, Turkey
11:35 Changes in the chrome ore beneficiation policy – what will
really happen in South Africa and how will it affect the
global picture?
• Export tax on chrome ore – why is it being considered? Does the
chrome ore market need state intervention?
• Is beneficiation really at the heart of an argument? How to beneficiate
when you don’t have the energy?
• Chinese imports of chrome ore – what will be the long term effect on
South African and global ferro-chrome producers?
• What will be the impact of the chrome ore tax on non integrated chrome
ore producers – will it push South African producers out of the picture?
Will the customers shift to Kazakhstan and Turkey?
Dr Alistair Ruiters, CEO, Ruuki SA, South Africa*
12:05 Energy efficiency: does responsible energy
management need to become an integral part of the
ferro-chrome business?
• Energy cost in the final price – how important are the sustainable energy
sources? Which region hosts the most competitive rates?
• Securing energy supplies, what are the alternative energy solutions that
could be used?
• Carbon tax – why has it caused a lot of volatility in the USA? What are
the implications for the ferro-alloys producers in Australia? What lesson
can be drawn for the ferro-chrome industry?
• Co-generation plants as an answer to industry problems? What could be
the commercial benefit?
Conan Jones, Sub Sahara Africa – Area Sales Leader,
GE Energy, South Africa
12:30 Executives’ panel discussion: Supply/demand balance in
the chrome and ferro-chrome markets – are we heading
towards oversupply?
• Ferro-chrome vs chrome – what impact has the recent decrease of
capacity in South Africa had on the international balance?
• Consolidation of the stainless steel industry – how will it affect the future
ferro-chrome sourcing?
• European stainless steel market – why there is still an overcapacity in
stainless steel production? Is Europe the only region doing badly?
Where is production of stainless steel increasing?
• With increased demand from China, will the benchmark negotiation
system go out of fashion? What will happen to the alloy surcharge, will
the industry decide to drop them in the future?
• Supply/demand balance- will the market support growth of prices in the
near future?
Mark Midgley, Sales and Marketing Director, ENRC, Kazakhstan
Robert Yuksel Yildrim, President & Chief Executive Officer,
Eti Krom, Turkey
Mauri Kauppi, General Manager – Sales & Marketing,
Outokumpu Chrome Oy, Finland
Conan Jones, Sub Sahara Africa – Area Sales Leader,
GE Energy, South Africa
13:15 Chairman’s closing remarks and networking lunch
Specialist session: Meeting room II
JUNIOR MINERS SHOWCASE
& SILICON
11:00 Overview of the new mining projects in all major ferro-alloys
ores: Chrome, Manganese, Nickel, Silicon, Molybdenum,
Vanadium, Niobium
SILICON
12:00 Supply/demand balance for ferro-silicon and the outlook for
demand from the crude steel sector
• Whilst demand for flat steel is still strong in the automotive sector, what is
the outlook for construction material?
• What is the outlook on the global crude steel output at the moment and
how is it likely to shape up in the year to come?
• Supply/demand balance of ferro-silicon- is the production growing
enough to sustain the demand in the long term? Are producers looking
to increase their capacities?
Amy Bennett, Principal Consultant, Metal Bulletin Research, USA
12:30 Silicon and ferro-silicon market in China – how will the shut
downs of capacity effect the international market balance?
• Outlook on Chinese ferro-siliicon supplies – domestic output vs exports
volumes, why are there discrepancies in numbers?
• Has the shortage of Chinese material boosted new silicon and
ferro-silicon capacity elsewhere?
• Chinese ferro-silicon prices – will the market prices stay low in
comparison to the European producers? Contracts vs spot market – how
did the move towards shorter term deals impact market prices?
• Chinese consumption – will the low performance of the past year
continue into the future leaving the market oversupplied due to high
export duty?
• What is the long term outlook – when will Asia ask for more specialist
steel, giving silicon a boost?
• China as a net exporter? How much material still leaves the country
avoiding the high export duties?
Kevin Fowkes, Managing Consultant, Alloys consult, UK
13:00 Chairman’s closing remarks and networking lunch
Specialist session: Meeting room III
MINOR METALS
11:00 Chairman’s opening remarks
11:10 Ferro-niobium – still a critical additive in the production of
sophisticated steels?
• Is demand for niobium going up? Which regions are continuously
developing more appetite for specialist steel with ferro-niobium content?
• Vehicle production as a main driver for more niobium consumption:
can niobium save the environment?
• What is the suppy/demand balance in the market, is there enough
capacity to sustain steel applications?
Sergio Castanho, Managing Director Mineracao Catalao,
Anglo American, Brazil
11:40 Tungsten market in China – will it continue to dominate?
What could be the alternatives?
• Is China still at the forefront of tungsten production? What is the outlook
for the prices?
• Global consumption of tungsten and prospects for Chinese demand
growth – is there a correlation in the consumption trend?
• Review of the tungsten export quotas – what is the outlook for the future?
Did the government crackdown on illegal smuggling?
12:05 Overview of cobalt market dynamics – what dictated the
market performance in the past year?
• Review of price volatility – will the market settle down soon? What were
the main factors dragging prices down?
• Supply/demand balance – which regions are growing fastest and where
are producers facing the biggest challenges?
• Potential for new capacities – will new projects come on line soon?
• Asian interest in cobalt – is Africa the next stop for Chinese investments?
Scott Bending, Director, Formation Metals, Canada
12:35 Titanium-is the market developing in the right direction?
• Is the consumption growing in-line with demand? Are the developed
economies still consuming the largest volumes in the consumer
goods sector?
• Will the low scrap prices and high levels of availability still be
undermining alloy producers in the upcoming year? Will the prices
reach record low?
• Potential for new supplies – will we see more material coming on
stream soon?
13:00 Chairman’s closing remarks and networking lunch
*Subject to final confirmation