South32 posts nearly 17% jump in quarterly manganese output

Australia’s South32 on Thursday posted a 16.7% jump in its second-quarter manganese output, as production at its Australia manganese division returned to normal levels after executing its recovery plan following Tropical Cyclone Megan.

The world’s biggest manganese producer produced 1.3 million wet metric tons (wmt) of the steel additive for the December quarter from its Australian and South African operations, up from 1.1 million wmt a year ago, and in line with the Visible Alpha consensus estimate of 1.3 million wmt.

Manganese output from the Australia segment rose 26% from a year ago as it delivered planned manganese volumes after Tropical Cyclone Megan caused infrastructure damage and a temporary suspension of operations in March 2024.

With its recovery plan wrapped up by the end of the fiscal 2025, South32 has moved past the disruption and resumed normal production levels.

Meanwhile, output from the South Africa manganese operations rose 4% from last year, but fell 8% compared to September quarter, due to a planned maintenance. The company has scheduled more maintenance in the March quarter.

South32 also reported a combined production of 1.3 million tons of alumina from its Worsley and Brazil operations, the same as last year, with Brazil alumina production increasing by 2% as the refinery operated above nameplate capacity.

The two alumina operations contributed to nearly 70% of South32’s pre-tax profit in fiscal 2025.

The diversified miner kept its fiscal 2026 production forecast unchanged for all assets.

(By Shruti Agarwal and Sherin Sunny)