Pangang profits on increasing vanadium prices
One of the biggest vanadium producers of the world, China's Panzhihua Iron and Steel Company (Pangang), announced that the company will leave its production quantity unchanged in 2005. The company produced about 11'000 metric tons of vanadium in 2004. Skyrocketing vanadium prices should translate into a nearly 500% rise in profits for Pangang, despite the fact it has chosen not to increase production. The current price of ferro-vanadium is around $120-140; it had been around $10 per kg in January 2004. At 16'000 metric tons, China produces 37% of the world's vanadium. It is nipping at the heels of South Africa, which is the world leader at 39% of global production. Annual worldwide vanadium production is around 43'000 metric tons.