Sinai Manganese resumes production with revitalised furnaces
Sinai Manganese Company (SMC), a pioneering and leading manganese ore producer in Egypt, located in Abu Zenima, South Sinai, has reignited its alloy factory furnaces. This marks a significant return to the production of silicon manganese alloys, which are essential for both the local industry and international markets. This achievement aligns with the company’s strategic plan to enhance operations, broaden manufacturing capabilities, and bolster mining and service sectors.
Following extensive restoration and modernization efforts, the furnaces have resumed activity, overcoming previous production challenges. The facility now maintains a robust production capacity of around 1,500 tonnes per month, ensuring a steady supply to meet industry demands.
Mahmoud Esmat, Minister of Public Enterprises Sector, announced that the Ministry has implemented a comprehensive development strategy for the Sinai Manganese Company. This strategy encompasses the augmentation of industrial output and the introduction of novel industries, leveraging the company’s abundant natural resources.
Esmat elaborated, “We’ve reached a consensus on partnering with the private sector for the construction of a new facility, aimed at enhancing the economic benefits derived from our natural resources and revitalizing existing manufacturing sectors. A key initiative is the kaolin calcination project, utilizing state-of-the-art furnaces, capitalizing on the company’s extensive kaolin ore reserves to elevate its economic worth through value-added processing.”
The project’s objective is to transform Egyptian raw materials into premium-grade components for diverse industrial applications, including refractories, rubber, plastics, fibreglass, ceramics, paper, coatings, and paints. This initiative is designed to cater to domestic demands and foster international trade.
Esmat emphasized the importance of domestic and international private investments in propelling company growth and introducing innovative industries. He cited successful precedents where such collaborations have substantially increased the value of natural resources.
The minister underscored the transition from mere mining and extraction to a focus on manufacturing, thereby enhancing the intrinsic value of these resources. The government’s current agenda includes the integration of new industrial processes for various natural resources such as talc, gypsum, iron, and phosphate, to better serve the domestic market and expand into global markets.
Established in 1957, the SMC was the first to tap into the manganese deposits of the Sinai Peninsula. As Egypt’s foremost manganese ore producer, the company has broadened its operational scope to explore and exploit additional mineral resources, including kaolin, gypsum, bentonite, silica sand, quartz, and manganese ore, boasting substantial mineral reserves.