British ferro-alloys producer FE Mottram, the biggest producer of ferro-titanium in Europe, has restarted production after a fire damaged its plant in April, according to an industry source.
The company had intended to restart production in the third quarter of this year. FE Mottram, which is owned by Belgium-based ferro-alloys and metals trader Metraco, stopped production at its plant in Sheffield, northern England, after a furnace exploded on the weekend of April 13. The ferro-titanium 70% Ti, max 4.5% Al, ddp Europe price has dropped steadily since the shutdown, most recently assessed at $4.40-4.60 per kg ddp Europe on Wednesday October 16, from $5.20-5.50 per kg at the time of the production stoppage. Before FE Mottram shut production for repairs, the European ferro-titanium price had been increasing since February, when it was as low as $4.20-4.80 per kg. That price came at the end of a decline in the price from a 2018 high...