explainer · manganese

Mined at 45%. Alloyed at 75%. Built in at 1%.

Manganese ore is rich by mining standards, often above 40%. It is smelted into ferroalloys, added to almost every tonne of steel at about 1%, and a small share is refined to high-purity sulphate for batteries.

By MN Consulting. Figures checked 1 November 2026. Manganese key figures and sources

6 stages

Six stages, from mine to steel product

Select a stage to see what happens there, who does it, and which record moves with the material. The bars show manganese content by mass on a log scale.

Manganese content is shown as elemental manganese (Mn) by mass.

scale

Where manganese comes from

~20 Mt

of manganese content was mined in 2025. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, 2025 estimate

38%

of mined manganese came from South Africa, about 7.6 Mt. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, our calculation, 2025 estimate

25%

came from Gabon, about 5.0 Mt. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, our calculation, 2025 estimate

~90%

of manganese demand comes from steelmaking. International Manganese Institute, typical share

battery route

A small but growing share takes the battery route

Batteries take only a few per cent of manganese today, but high-purity supply outside China is thin.

refining

Manganese sulphate

High-purity manganese sulphate (about 32% Mn) is made from ore or electrolytic manganese metal.

cathode

NMC and LMFP

NMC 111 cathode is about 19% manganese; manganese-rich LMFP is gaining share.

records

Battery passport

Battery-grade manganese falls under the same EU due diligence and passport rules as lithium, nickel and cobalt.

traceability

Where the record usually breaks

At the portCargoes from several mines share stockpiles at Chinese ports, so the mine behind a shipment to the smelter is often unclear.
At the smelterOres are blended to a recipe for each furnace. Without a mass balance, alloy lots carry no single origin.
At the steel millOne heat can take alloy from several suppliers. Few mill certificates link back to the alloy lot.

Our traceability rollouts link these records, from mine lot to finished product, so a claim about origin holds up when a customer or regulator asks for it.

Planning a traceability rollout, or one that has stalled after the pilot? Book a 30-minute call.

Sources

Production figures are USGS estimates for 2025. Stage ranges are typical industry values, rounded, not data for a specific plant.