Chromium is a hard, brittle gray metal with a high melting point and corrosion resistance. These characteristics make it a key element in the production of stainless steel, with about 60% of the world’s chrome production destined for the steel industry. It is interesting to note that the steel industry consumes chromium indirectly, since the production of stainless steel requires ferrochrome, an alloy of chromium and iron that contains 50 to 70% of chromium by
weight.
South Africa
Mining production: 18 million tons
South Africa is the world’s leading producer of chromite minerals and the largest producer of chromium ore. However, producing chromium requires a lot of energy, and this can be a problem in South Africa due to constraints in the country’s electricity supply
.
Turkey
Mining production: 6 million tons
Turkey saw its chrome production increase in 2023, reaching 6 million tons and placing second in this ranking. The Yildirim group is a major player in the chrome industry in Turkey through Eti Krom, which it acquired
in 2004.
Kazakhstan
Mining production: 6 million tons
Kazakhstan maintained a steady production of 6 million tons of chrome in 2023. While not the main producer of chromium, the country has the most abundant global reserves
.
India
Mining production: 4.2 million tons
India recorded a chrome production of 4.2 million tons in 2023, an increase compared to the previous year. The country holds the world’s third largest reserves of chromium and, despite this, there is little information available on the chromium sector in India.
Finland
Mining production: 2 million tons
Finland produced 2 million tons of chrome in 2023, confirming the results of the previous year. Finland’s most important chromium production operation is the Kemi mine, owned by the stainless steel manufacturer Outokumpu
.