FERROALLOYS 405 
 
ampere (kV*A) furnaces in the Pirapora industrial complex. The first unit
was scheduled for completion in 1987. Eletrovale, a joint venture 60% owned
by Cia. Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) and Eletrometalur, and 20% each by Mitsubishi
Corp. and Kawasaki Steel Corp., began construction of its 27,000-ton-per-year
ferrosiicon plant at Nova Era in Minas Gerais State. The plant was scheduled
to go on-stream in late 1986. 
Italmagnesio S.A. Indüstria e Comércio planned to begin
silicon
metal production by March 1986 by convertmg its new 24 megavolt-ampere (MV'A)
submerged arc ferrosiicon furnace to silicon metal production. The new furnace
was scheduled to be put on-line in January 1986. Furnace output was expected
to be 1,100 tons of silicon metal per mOnth. Italmagnesio also planned to
build a 13-MV*A furnace for silicon metal production. The furnacewas e~pécted
to be completed by June 1986. Cia. Brasileira Carbueto de Calcio S.A. (CBCC)
cOnverted an old 30-MV*A ferrosiicon furnace to silicon metal production.
CBCC also brought a new 30-MV.A furnace on-stream about midyear for ferrosilicon
production. The new unit's production capacity was rated at about 20,000
tons per year. FerroLigas Assofun S.A. began installation of an electric
furnace for ferrosiicon production at its ferroalloy facility in São
Joas da' Boa Vista, which would double its capacity to about 15,000 tons
per year. The company began negotiations with Nippon Kokan K.K. and Mitsui
Co. Ltd. in an effort to establish a joint venture to raise part of the financing
needed for construction. 
Alcan Aluminio do Brasil S.A. sold its ferroalloys division to Cia. Paulista
de Ferro-Ligas. Alcan's properties included two single-furnace facilities
with a total capacity of about 19,000 tons per year of 75% ferrosiicon. Alcan
produces siicomanganese at a third plant. All of the plants are in Minas
Gerais. Brazil's Interior Minister approved new investment in the Inoculantes
e Ferro-Ligas Nipo Brasileiros S.A. (INONIBRAS) ferrosilicon project. INONIBRAS
planned to increase capacity to 29,000 tons per year from 7,000 tons. Osaka
Special Alloy Ltd., Japan, holds a 30% share in the company, whose smelter
is in Mato Grosso State. Cia. de Ferro-Ligas Minas Gerais S.A. put a 15-MV*A
furnace online in August, increasing its ferrosificon capacity from 26,000
tons per year to 40,000 tons of the 75% sificon alloy. 
Metalman Indüstria e Comércio Manga 
nese Electrolitico, a subsidiary of Metalur Administração
Participaçöes
Ltda., planned to install a $40 million plant at Rosario near São
Paulo. The plant will produce electrolytic manganese metal and electrolytic
manganese dioxide, among others. CVRD will provide the 80,000 tons per year
of manganese ore required for the calcination and reduction process from
its mineral deposit in Carajás. The plant's first phase was scheduled
for completion in late 1987. 
Both Paulista de Ferro-Ligas and Prometal-Produtos Metallürgicos
S.A.
annóunced plans to build plants to convert Carajás
manganese
ore to ferromanganese and silicomanganese. Each plant would have a rated
capacity of about 40,000 tons per year and be situated in the region. Production
was planned to start in the 198688 period. Pilot plant trials demonstrated
the feasibility of producing standard ferromanganese and siicomanganese with
feed material from the Azul deposit using charcoal as a reductant. 
Urucum Mineraçâo S.A., operator of Brazil's largest
manganese
ore deposit, had projected 1985 ore production at 55,000 tons. The company
may construct a ferroalloys plant near the mine. 
FERBASA announced that it expected to reach an installed capacity of about
165,000 tons for all chrome alloys in 1985. The company exported nearly 50%
of its major product, H-C FeCr, in 1984. 
Construction began in Brazil on a new $1.7 million plant capable of producing
about 200 tons per year of ferrotungsten and about 200 tons per year of tungsten
carbide powders. The plant was expected to be completed in early 1987 and
will use scheelite ores mined at Currais Novos, Rio Grande do Norte. Plant
ownership will be divided among Tenenge Tecnica Nacional de Engenharia S.A.
with 60%, Tomaz Salustino, 35%, and the Rio Grande do Norte State Government,
5%. 
Cia. Brasileira de MetalCrgia e Mineração (CBMM) announced
that it will begin producing columbium metal for export in 1987. CBMM planned
to build an electron beam furnace at its ferrocolumbium plant in Araxá.
Plant production is expected to be about 100 tons per year of metal, which
will go to the superconductor industry. CBMM already is the world's largest
producer of ferrocolumbium and columbium oxide.6 
Canada.—.In the first half of the year, Elkem Metals Canada came
under
full ownership of Elkem of Norway. Elkem Metals