If the manganese sector has been able to withstand the shock imposed by the health crisis linked to the coronavirus, the fact remains that the year 2020 would record production down by minus 1.8%, according to figures from the Ministry of the Economy.
According to the Sector Conjoncture in France from the Ministry of the Economy, manganese ore mining activity was characterized by an improvement in the first three months of 2020.
This, despite the difficult situation relating to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, this improvement is likely to fade since forecasts from the Ministry of the Economy, relayed by Directinfosgabon, point out that national production should fall by -1.8% compared to the previous year.
It is expected to reach 7.2 million tonnes in 2020, down 1.8% from 2019. This contraction is explained by the effects of Covid-19, characterized by a slowdown in global demand. The 2020 production targets have therefore been revised downwards, despite the increase in national production capacities.
The commissioning of the Okouma plateau in 2020 as part of the Comilog 20/20 project and the entry into operation of the Lebaye deposit, in Okondja, by New Gabon Mining, should bring production capacity to 8.6 million tonnes in 2021.
