World market iron ore in the 2000s, it was one of the fastest growing commodity markets in both physical and value terms. In the crisis year of 2009, the world trade in iron ore, in contrast to most goods, maintained its progressive development, the growth continued in 2010. In value terms, the market volume in 2009 decreased due to a strong decline in prices, but in 2010 it was significantly exceeded pre-crisis indicators.
When the Anglo-American mined Ngwenia, he created a huge industrial city in Swaziland, built a railroad to Mozambique, and unloaded Maputo harbor to accommodate big ships... There are no similar signs of development at the mine today. One muscular old Swazi lies behind the wheel of his wheel loader.
“It is not good to take this land because it is ours and it is beautiful,” said the miner. The Swazis are very proud of these mountains, but Salgaokar knows it's better here. When the mine opened, more than 500 applicants were waiting outside the gates. Can't you see we're fit for mine? This mining doesn't really take a lot of people to do it.
World trade in iron ore in 2010 in physical terms increased by 13% (in 2009 - by 5.5%), and in value terms - by about 80% (in 2009 it decreased by 17%). The physical volume of world trade in iron ore in 2010 exceeded 1.1 billion tons, and the value (for export) 105 billion dollars.
The growth of trade in 2009 was facilitated by the sharply increased demand from the PRC, which overlapped its decline from other leading buyers - the EU, Japan, the Republic of Korea, etc.
I know everyone they hired, ”Simelan said. Less than 20 people. Lingering Issues When the mine was opened, Salgaokar went to the Mswati air show. Propeller planes were performing stunts. The helicopters circled and, humiliatingly, bowed to the king. The tone on the ground was nervous.
They warned each other: "Be careful, the people of Salgaokar are dangerous, real gangsters, scammers." “To remove the landfills, step in the door,” said Mickey Reilly, who runs the kingdom's huge play parks and is considered the country's “father of conservation”.
There is a strong possibility that iron is a raw material. We will pay for all this in 10 years. According to the Swaziland Investor Roadmap, the Swaziland Constitution confers on the king the mining and quarrying rights that keep them in confidence in the Swazin nation. He is reported to receive all mining royalties. “The king’s business is Tisuka,” said Sibusizo Mazibuko, who works in the Swaziland internal affairs office. Obviously he gets paid because he is the one providing everything here.
In 2010, Chinese demand remained stable, while in the rest of the iron ore importing countries, the recovery of metallurgical production led to a significant increase in purchases on the world market.
Largest exporter of iron ore in last years is Australia, whose supplies have been growing continuously since 2002. In 2010, its exports amounted to 403 million tons, which is 11% higher than in 2009. In the 2000s, Australian exports began to go almost entirely to East Asia, while supplies to Europe decreased to an insignificant value, and shipments to the Middle East and North America stopped. China has been the main buyer of Australian iron ore since the middle of the first decade of the new century; in 2010, it accounted for 68% of exports. The share of Japan in 2010 was 19%, the Republic of Korea - 9.5%, Taiwan - 3%, EU countries - 0.5%.
With regard to state participation, Mswati acquires 25% of the shares without any monetary compensation, and the government without any monetary obligations another 25%. The remaining 50% of the shares will be directed to Salgaokar. This is in line with Mswati's tradition of collecting 25% "commission" on large trades, a halt pending a rescue for South Africa.
How and where this money will be spent is not explained. End of the era Dlamini will leave his job as Ngwenya's ranger. He says that Salgoacar asked him to join the supervisor and he cannot stay in the park unless he joins the mine.
The second largest iron ore exporter is occupied by Brazil, which was leading along with Australia until 2007. In 2010, after a decrease in the previous year, Brazilian supplies increased by 17% and reached a new all-time high of -311 million tons. Brazil's exports are traditionally characterized by broad geographic diversification through high quality ores and more profitable geographic location compared to major competitors. It is this country that should be considered the most competitive supplier of iron ore on a global scale.
“My destiny is not mining, but conservation,” he says. "This is their mandate, not mine." He claims to be an environmental education officer. He stops and rubs his hands against a red rock wall. Thick, shiny red coats cover his arms. It is glossy from the mirror. It's always beautiful. He rubs it across his face and looks down at the lake deep inside the mine.
Impact for the immediately obvious
He catches himself. Hopefully we can continue collecting in the future. Water Cascading from a mountain mine, streams head west to South Africa, south to the tourist center of Swaziland, Ezulwini and east to the Hawain Dam. The dam supplies water to the capital of the country and is located 5 km from the mine. The well is already spewing crimson iron waste into the stream. Mbabane produces about 50 million cubic meters per year from the Hawain reservoir, which has a net storage capacity of 15 million cubic meters. The plant will consume nearly six times the storage capacity of the Hawain Dam during its lifetime.
The main market for Brazilian iron ore raw materials in the 2000s was East Asia ahead of Europe. In addition, exports to the Middle East, Latin America, NAFTA countries, North Africa, Southeast Asia. China became the largest importer of iron ore from Brazil at the beginning of the new century - in 2010 its share was 49%. Other major buyers in 2010 were Japan (12%), Germany (about 7%), Republic of Korea (about 4%), Argentina, Great Britain, Italy, France (2.5% each), the Netherlands (more than 2%) , Bahrain, Saudi Arabia (2% each), Taiwan (1.5%).
Roads. According to an impact assessment, trucks make 223 trips per day in Swaziland, each carrying 32 tons of material throughout transport artery countries through two of their major cities and to Maputo. Swaziland is a major tourist destination as it provides an excellent north-south road between Kruger National Park and KwaZulu-Natal. Damage to this road and it will all collapse, ”said shopkeeper Ngwenia.
High dust levels from open source ore will affect both industries. Linda Loeffler, a leading local botanist, wrote to Salgaocar, claiming she remembers the orchid and its critical habitat and the only pollinator. It said that an "alternative habitat" would be created.
India is the third largest exporter of iron ore. In the first half of the 2000s, its supplies grew rapidly, but then the pace slowed down, which was associated with a significant increase in domestic consumption, which resulted in higher prices for Indian ore compared to major competitors and export restrictions periodically imposed by the Indian authorities. In 2010, deliveries from India decreased by 9% compared to the previous year, amounting to 104 million tons. Since the mid-2000s, China has become the dominant export destination for India, and in 2010 its share was 93%. Japan remained a major buyer (in 2010 - 5%). In 2010, significant deliveries were also made to the Republic of Korea and the EU countries.
But mining started three months ago and there is no habitat for the orchids. Mineral products - including ,,,, are critical for the modern industrial society. While mining has been key to Canadian settlement and development, the industry has also come under criticism in recent decades for its environmental and social impacts. Canada remains one of the world's leading mining countries and has become a center for global funding and mining expertise.
Mining entails the mining of ore, defined as a rock from crust containing valuable minerals. It may also include mining or digging or aggregate for construction purposes. Although excavation is similar, it is not usually considered loot. Important Canadian mineral products include precious metals and; base metals; energy minerals such as and; and industrial minerals.
South Africa sharply increased supplies of iron ore in 2009, thus consolidating its fourth position in the list of the leading exporters of this raw material. In 2010, its exports grew by almost 8%, reaching a new maximum of 48.5 million tons. East Asia remained the main sales market, with the EU countries still of great importance. The largest buyer of iron ore from South Africa was the PRC, whose share in 2010 was 63%. Germany and Japan were also major importers (12.5% each). Significant shipments were made to such states as (%): DPRK (4), Italy (2.5), Great Britain (about 2), Slovenia (1.5), Republic of Korea (1).
The broad term "mining" often refers not only to the direct extraction of minerals, but also to the complete cycle from discovery to processing of minerals. Mining involves identifying geological formations that may contain valuable ore. These formations can be found by prospectors traveling by land or aerial reconnaissance and sophisticated remote sensing equipment. Once valuable ore body identified and claimed by the mining company, actual production can continue if market conditions are favorable and investors can be found.
Ukraine, after a rather long period of export stagnation, has been dynamically increasing supplies of iron ore since 2008. In 2010, its exports grew by 18.5%, reaching a record 32.7 million tons. The main market for Ukrainian ore was traditionally the countries of Central and of Eastern Europe where railroad deliveries were made, but a sharp rise in prices for iron ore in the mid-2000s made large-scale sea shipments to China profitable. In recent years, it was the PRC that was the leading importer of Ukrainian iron ore, and in 2010 its share was 39%. Major buyers remained (%): Poland (14), Czech Republic (13), Austria (11) and Slovakia (9). Other export destinations in 2010 were Serbia (5.5), Romania (3), Turkey (2.5) and Hungary (2).
Mining operations range from basic low-tech technologies to large energy and capital intensive enterprises. Historically, “high-grade” ores have been mined using simple methods of sweeping and erosion or water separation, often by a solo miner or small team. Gold was often mined in this way. As the availability of high quality deposits declined, more sophisticated technologies such as dredging and hydraulic extraction required large capital investments.
For example, dredging was key to maintaining production at the Klondike gold deposits after the original ore stream began to settle. Mining coal and base metal usually requires digging and blasting deep underground in order to follow the veins of the ore, for example, some mines tunnel far towards the mountains, while others are located under water bodies. Throughout the 20th century, technologies such as underground carriages, machine hoists and large shovels reduced the need for human labor and the speed and severity of industrial accidents.
Exports of iron ore from Canada in 2010 increased by 4.5% and amounted to 32.6 million tons, which was the highest figure since 1998. The main sales markets for it in recent years have been Western Europe (traditional) and East Asia ( new), while the value of the United States has greatly decreased. The largest volume of supplies in 2010 was made to Germany and China (22% each), as well as (%): to the USA (13.5), France (11), Trinidad and Tobago (5.5), Great Britain (3 , 5), Belgium (3), Japan (2.5), Taiwan (about 2.5), Italy, the Republic of Korea (2% each).
Placer deposits of gold and spurred important new laws in the field of mining, and the massive gold aspirations to Fraser Canyon and directly led to the expansion of colonial and, ultimately, Canadian rule over these regions. Colonization railways built in northern Ontario led to an important silver discovery, which for a time was the largest silver camp in North America. In the pre-period, gold was also found in Porcupine and Ontario.
The mines in production produced not only precious metals, but increasingly important metals such as copper, lead and zinc. Following the global demand for raw materials, the post-period witnessed a rapid expansion of the industry and saw important events in newly discovered minerals such as uranium in the north and north; potassium on the prairie and in; and industrial minerals such as asbestos, molybdenum, and gypsum. Despite the fact that it is not a major global manufacturer, the Canadian coal industry also expanded, even when the fields were depleted, thanks to the development of large operations for the discovery and extraction of mines.
In 2010, Russia increased its export of iron ore by 11% - to 22.8 million tons (including trade within the Customs Union), which is significantly lower than the maximum in 2007. Traditionally, Russian ore was supplied mainly to Eastern European states, as well as to Finland and Ukraine, occasionally large deliveries were made to Western Europe and Turkey, since the mid-2000s, significant shipments were made in the direction of China. The main counterparties of iron ore exports from Russia in 2010 were such states as (%): China (32), Slovakia (12), Ukraine (11.5), Netherlands (11), Italy, Czech Republic (6 each), as well as Kazakhstan (4.5), Hungary (4), Poland (3.5), the United States and Turkey (2.5 each).
Key sites include: Northwest Territories; Highland Valley, British Columbia; North Saskatchewan ;, Quebec; Brunswick Mine No. 12 in Bathurst; and Quebec and Newfoundland. Mineral processing production also increased during this period, due to the presence of several smelters, including dozens of base metal processing plants throughout the country, ferroalloy iron ore processing plants, and a number of other mineral processing facilities.
Although the importance of mining to the economy and employment in Canada has declined, it remains a regionally significant industry, especially in the northern provinces and northern territories. and are the leading mining provinces.
Exports of iron ore from Sweden in 2010 increased by 29% and reached the highest level in the last 30 years at 20.7 million tons. The bulk of the exported ore was traditionally sold in the countries of the North Western Europe and Finland, since the 1990s significant shipments have been made to North Africa and the Middle East. In 2010, the largest volumes of exports were directed to Germany (25%), as well as (%): to Finland (18), Saudi Arabia (14), the Netherlands (10), Turkey (8), China (7), Egypt (5), Great Britain (4), Qatar (3), Libya (more than 2) and Hungary (about 2%).
Canada is not only a major producer of important minerals and metals, but also a center for global finance and mining expertise. Canadian firms operate mines around the world, but more attention is also paid to disputes over the practice and impact of Canadian mining companies in developing countries. Similar concerns about the impact of large-scale mining in nearby Aboriginal areas in Canada prompts mining companies take 'corporate social responsibility' initiatives, including community consultation and impact and benefit agreements.
Kazakhstan in 2010 increased its export of iron ore by 12.5% - to about 16.5 million tons (including trade within the Customs Union), significantly surpassing the maximum in 2006-2007. For a long time, the overwhelming part of supplies from Kazakhstan was sent to Russia within the framework of the formed back in the 1960s. technological links with metallurgical plants Urals, primarily the Magnitogorsk Combine. In the 2000s, a significant increase in demand in neighboring China made supplies to this country attractive. In 2010, Russia accounted for 62% of Kazakhstan's iron ore exports, and China for 37%.
Which countries are the largest consumers of iron ore?
More than 50 countries around the world produce iron ore for both domestic use and export markets. The world's largest iron ore producers.
The world's largest iron ore plants
Until the most recent mining boom, there were 5 iron ore companies in Australia. Companies tend to enter the market when prices are good and enter more challenging market conditions. The number increased to over 20 as new entrants sought to take advantage of record high prices.Iranian iron ore exports doubled in 2010, reaching 15 million tons. This made the country one of the ten largest exporters for the first time. The overwhelming part of Iran's exports (over 95%) was directed to China.
Chile showed strong growth in iron ore exports for the second year in a row; in 2010, it increased by 27% to a maximum level over the past 30 years of 10.7 million tons, with the PRC being the main direction of supplies (in 2010 - 73%). Other important destinations were (%): Japan (12), Indonesia (7) and Malaysia (4).
The supply of iron ore from Mauritania to the world market in the first decade of the new century was quite stable. In 2010, they remained at the level of the previous year, amounting to 10.5 million tons, which is slightly below the maximum indicators of previous years. The export of Mauritania has traditionally been directed mainly to the Western European market, however, during the crisis, the importance of the Chinese market has grown sharply. In 2010, the share of China was 40%, France - 18%, Italy - 13%, the Netherlands - 10%, Belgium, Germany, Spain - 4 - 5% each.
The USA exported 10 million tons of iron ore in 2010, increasing shipments 2.6 times compared to the previous year. Historically, the overwhelming majority of American supplies were directed to Canada (81%), from other countries of destination, China (7%), Germany (3.5%), France (2.5%) and Mexico (2%) can be distinguished.
The export of iron ore by Indonesia in 2010 increased by 1.5 times, reaching a record 8.7 million tons. Almost all goods were supplied to the Chinese market, the share of other countries was about 1%.
Iron ore supplies from Peru in 2010 increased 21% to 8.2 million tons, which became a new record for the country. Almost 95% of exports were directed to the PRC, about 4% to Japan.
Venezuela exported 7.5 million tons of iron ore in 2010, almost 2 times more than a year earlier. The largest volumes of deliveries were made to China (70%), Belgium (15%), France (7%) and the USA (3.5%).
Since 2003, the PRC has been the world's largest importer of iron ore, ahead of the former leader, Japan. In the 2000s, it was the explosive growth of Chinese demand that became the main reason for the sustained expansion of international trade in iron ore. The PRC's share in world imports has quadrupled over the past 10 years, amounting to more than 55% in 2010 (in the crisis year of 2009, against the background of low demand in other countries, this figure was about 65%).
The rapid growth in demand from the PRC led to a significant increase in the cost of iron ore, which stimulated the development of export-oriented mining in many countries of the world, including those that had not previously exported or even mined iron ore (Iran, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand and etc.). Of the approximately 50 countries currently engaged in competitive export of iron ore (i.e., excluding resale, practiced primarily by a number of European importers within the EU), only Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania do not supply their goods to the PRC. At the same time, out of 20 leading exporters of iron ore, only four (Sweden, Kazakhstan, the USA and the Philippines) are not the largest buyer of China.
China's iron ore imports in 2010 for the first time in 10 years of the new century decreased by 1.5% - to 619 million tons, however, the analysis of monthly data on purchases does not give grounds to conclude that the trend is breaking, and by the end of 2011 it is more likely imports seem to be increasing rather than decreasing. The main suppliers of iron ore to the PRC were Australia, Brazil and India, which together provide 80-85% of Chinese imports; in 2010, their shares were 43%, 21% and 15.5%, respectively. South Africa (about 5%), Iran (about 2.5%), Ukraine (2%), Indonesia, Peru, Chile, Russia, Kazakhstan (about 1% each), Venezuela (about 1 %). In total, in 2010, the PRC imported more than 1 million tons of iron ore from 23 countries.
The total imports of iron ore by the EU countries in 2010 amounted to 165 million tons, which is almost 1.5 times more than in 2009, but significantly lower than the pre-crisis indicators. Of this volume, more than 125 million tons were imported from outside the region, and 25 million tons - for the re-export of the Netherlands (mainly to Germany), about 15 million tons - for other intraregional trade (mainly supplies from Sweden) ... Brazil has traditionally been the leading supplier of iron ore to the EU; in 2010, its share was 50%. Important EU import partners were such countries as (%): Ukraine (15), Canada (13), Russia (7.5), South Africa (5), Mauritania (4.5), as well as Venezuela (2), Australia (about 1.5) and Norway (over 1).
In 2010, Germany was traditionally the largest importer among the EU countries (43 million tons), the second place belonged to the Netherlands (34 million tons), thanks to re-export operations. Outstanding among the rest of the EU countries (million tons): France (15.3), Italy (12.1), Great Britain (10.6), Austria (8), Belgium (7.6) and Poland (6.5) ... The geographic structure of imports of individual countries was characterized by similar features: for the Eastern European states, Ukraine and Russia were the main partners, for the rest of the countries - Brazil, Canada, Sweden, South Africa, Mauritania.
Japan's imports of iron ore in 2010 increased by 27% after falling by 25% in the previous year, but remained below the pre-crisis indicators, amounting to 134 million tons. the place was occupied by Brazil (30%). South Africa (4.5%) and India (4%) were quite large suppliers.
The Republic of Korea retained its position as the third largest iron ore importing country, ahead of Germany. In 2010, it increased imports by a record 34% or more than 14 million tons, reaching a new all-time high of 56.3 million tons.Australia (69%) was traditionally the main supplier for it, followed by Brazil (23 %). In 2010, purchases were made in significant volumes in South Africa (4.5%), India (1.5%) and Canada (1%).
Iron ore imports by Taiwan in 2010 increased by almost 60% to 18.9 million tons, which was a new all-time high. Almost all imports came from Australia (67%) and Brazil (27%); significant purchases are regularly carried out in Canada (in 2010 - 5%).
In 2010, Russia increased imports of iron ore by 18% - to 10.5 million tons (including trade within the Customs Union), which was significantly lower than the pre-crisis indicators. In the new century, almost all ore was traditionally imported from Kazakhstan, up to 2% in some years was imported from Ukraine.
Iron ore imports Saudi Arabia in 2010, it grew by 55% - to 8.2 million tons, which was the second result in its history after the maximum in 2005. The largest volumes of iron ore were imported from Brazil (about 65%) and Sweden (30%).
Canada in 2010 increased the import of iron ore 2.6 times - up to 8.1 million tons, which is significantly lower than the pre-crisis maximum. Almost the entire volume is historically imported from the United States.
Argentina's iron ore imports in 2010 increased 2.2 times, reaching a record 7.7 million tons. Traditionally, purchases are almost entirely carried out in Brazil.
Turkey in 2010 became one of the few buyers who reduced the import of iron ore by 7.5% compared to the same indicator in 2009, while imports amounted to 7.2 million tons. The main suppliers to the Turkish market in 2010 were Brazil (48%), Sweden (26%), Ukraine (12%) and Russia (9%).
Purchases of US iron ore in 2010 increased by 64% - to 6.4 million tons, which is significantly less than the previous indicators; the largest part of import demand was traditionally provided by Canada (70%). In that year, Russia (9.5%), Brazil (8%) and Venezuela (4%) also had a significant weight.
The material was prepared by A.V. Khokhlov
Metallurgy is one of the basic industries and provides mankind with construction materials, ferrous and non-ferrous metals. For a long time this industry has been developing very actively, but since the 70s of the twentieth century, there has been a slight slowdown in its growth. This is due primarily to a decrease in the metal consumption of production. Today, the following trends in the development of metallurgy are visible:
- Changing the proportions between developed and developing countries in favor of the latter;
- Weakening of the previous fuel and raw materials orientation and strengthening of orientation towards transport routes;
- Strengthening customer focus;
- Transition from large enterprises (mills) to medium and small ones.
Metallurgy includes all processes - from ore mining to rolled metal production. It includes two branches: ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy.
Ferrous metallurgy of the world
However, not all of these countries export ore. Its largest exporters are Australia (165 million tons per year) and Brazil (155), provide about 60% of world exports. In addition, India (37), South Africa (24), Canada (22), Ukraine (18), Sweden (14), Mauritania (10), Russia (7), Venezuela (7) are major exporters of iron ore.
In general, about 500 million tons (almost 50%) are exported annually.
Many, including those mining iron ore - the USA, Great Britain, Italy, China, etc., import it. The largest importers are Japan (125 million tons per year), China (110), European countries (primarily Germany), the Republic of Korea, and the United States. This is due to the fact that, despite certain structural changes that have occurred in. industries, the main type of enterprises in the ferrous metallurgy of most developed countries are plants full cycle... Ferrous metallurgy of a full cycle is distinguished by a high material consumption of production, i.e., a high consumption of materials used in relation to the weight of the finished product. The consumption of iron ore is especially high, and somewhat less consumption of coking coal. For the smelting of 1 ton of pig iron, at least 1.5-2 tons of iron ore are consumed (the richer the iron ore, the less its consumption), from 1-1.2 tons of coking coal, and only 4-5 tons of raw materials and fuel. Due to this ideal places For the development of ferrous metallurgy, countries and regions rich in both iron and manganese ores and fuel have always been considered. For example, India, China, Kazakhstan, Australia, Donetsk-Pridneprovsky region of Ukraine are distinguished by a combination of resources of iron and manganese ores, coking coal. But such a favorable combination for ferrous metallurgy natural resources is not common, therefore many metallurgical regions and centers arose either near the development of iron ore (for example, in Lorraine, in the fields of the Great Lakes in the United States, in the Alps, in Germany, Pennsylvania in the USA, Donbass, in Russia, etc.).
In addition to the old, traditional regions of ferrous metallurgy, which arose in certain countries of the world either on a combination of iron ore and coal, or separately on coal, iron ore or scrap metal replacing them, the industry, especially in recent years, has been very actively developed in the coastal regions. This option for the placement of ferrous metallurgy provides the possibility of supplying raw materials and fuel and exporting finished products by sea. Moreover, in many cases, the import of iron ore (or scrap) and coal is more profitable than the exploitation of local bases and deposits. For example, in Japan, almost all factories are located along the coast, which is very convenient for obtaining iron ore and coal by sea (iron ore to Japan is supplied by Australia, India, Brazil, and coal - by Australia and China). Large metallurgical plants created in the port cities of Italy (Naples, Genoa, Taranto), France (Marseille, Dunkirk), USA (Baltimore, Philadelphia), (Wuhan), Germany, and other countries. In all these cases, as in Japan, the location of metallurgy is determined by the orientation towards imported iron ore and coal (for European countries, iron ore comes from Africa and Latin America, coal - from the USA; for the USA, iron ore comes from Brazil, Venezuela and Canada ).
Main iron ore bridges:
- Australia - East Asia;
- Australia -;
- Brazil - East Asia;
- Brazil - Western Europe;
- Brazil - USA;
- South Africa - East Asia;
- South Africa - Western Europe;
- India - East Asia;
- India - Western Europe;
- Venezuela - USA;
- Canada - USA;
- Canada - Western Europe;
- Ukraine - overseas Europe;
- Russia is a foreign Europe.
Pig iron smelting is the most material-intensive process in ferrous metallurgy. About half of all steel in the world is obtained from cast iron. The complex economic and environmental problems of blast furnace production slow down the growth of pig iron smelting in the world (the volume of its production has not grown in the last decade). There have been changes in the geography of blast-furnace production: the total share of Western Europe and North America for the period from 1950 to 2000. in pig iron smelting decreased from 75% to 30%, while Eastern Europe and Asia increased from 20 to 60%. The leadership of the countries also changed: in 1950-1960. - USA; in 1970 - 1990 - the USSR, and after 1991 the PRC became the absolute leader. The production of pig iron in Russia and Ukraine decreased especially significantly.
Steel... The main semi-product for obtaining rolled products, on the quality of which all products of various industries and construction depend. The raw material for steel production is cast iron. However, with the accumulation of secondary raw materials in an increasing number of countries around the world, the primary stages of metallurgy (blast furnace production) have been replaced by the use of domestic or imported scrap metal.
In the United States, almost half of steel is produced not from pig iron, but from scrap (mainly in new factories located in the West and South). Roughly the same situation in other developed countries, newly industrialized countries (especially Asian) and in Russia.
The achievements of scientific and technological revolution have almost completely replaced the old methods of obtaining steel (for example, open-hearth furnace). Modern technologies: the oxygen-converter method and electric arc furnace are decisive. They made it possible to reduce the smelting time, as well as to obtain steel on small units, and to use resources more efficiently. A new revolutionary technology was the method of producing steel from metallized pellets obtained from ore. This direct iron reduction process replaces iron smelting. All this made it possible to move to specialized enterprises, which are more free in their location. This led to a new trend in the placement of ferrous metallurgy - consumer orientation.
World production of steel, especially high quality steel, continues to grow. But since the mid-1970s, the growth rate has slowed down somewhat. In 2000, it reached 850 million tons, i.e. 1.5 times more than cast iron.
Places among the regions for its production are distributed differently from the extraction of iron ore: overseas Asia(360 million tons per year) - 42.4%, foreign Europe (195) - 22.9%, North America(120) - 14.1%, CIS (100) - 11.8%, Latin America (55) - 6.5%, Africa (12) - 1.4%, Australia and Oceania (8) - 0.9 %
Among the countries the leaders are: China (145 million tons per year), Japan (105), USA (100), Russia (58), Germany (46), Republic of Korea (43), Ukraine (30), Brazil (28), India (27), Italy (27).
In the world steel smelting, the share of developing countries is constantly increasing (about 40% of steel is smelted), first of all, new industrial ones (Republic of Korea, Brazil, India, Mexico, etc.). However, the highest quality types of steel are smelted in developed countries, including Russia.
Rental- the final, most valuable, product of the entire cycle of ferrous metallurgy. Its cost is 2-5 times more than the cost of the steel from which it is made. Rolled products are very diverse (up to 20-30 thousand types and names). Rolled steel is the main product of the ferrous metallurgy. Not only enterprises but also entire countries specialize in its production. The best grades of rolled products are produced in the USA, Japan and Western Europe).
The main exporters of steel and rolled products are Japan, Germany, France, Belgium, Korea, Italy, USA, Russia, Great Britain, Ukraine.
The main importers are the USA, Germany, China, France, Italy, Belgium, Canada, Fr. , Great Britain, R. Korea.
Non-ferrous metallurgy
Includes the production of non-ferrous, precious, rare metals and their alloys. Non-ferrous metallurgy in terms of production is about 20 times less than ferrous, but has a wide range of products. Non-ferrous metallurgy, like ferrous metallurgy, has recently been growing at a higher rate in developing countries.
Non-ferrous metallurgy is distinguished by some features that affect the placement.
- High material consumption of production, which makes it unprofitable to separate processing from the places of extraction of raw materials. The percentage of most non-ferrous metals in ores is low (usually from fractions of a percent to several percent), which predetermines the "linkage" of ore processing enterprises to the places where raw materials are mined.
- High energy intensity of production, which makes the development of the industry efficient from sources of cheap fuel and electricity. Since the production (smelting) of metals from enriched raw materials requires a lot of energy, the stages of enrichment and metallurgical processing in non-ferrous metallurgy often turn out to be territorially fragmented.
- The complex nature of the raw materials used. Many non-ferrous metal ores are polymetallic in nature, that is, they contain several metals. For the purpose of their complete extraction (use) in nonferrous metallurgy, production combination is effective.
- The widespread use of secondary raw materials in the production of resources (in developed countries, 25-30% of copper and aluminum, up to 40-50% of lead are smelted from scrap). For this reason, the location of non-ferrous metallurgy industries is in many cases focused on the resources of secondary raw materials (scrap metal).
In terms of production volume, aluminum smelting (more than 45% of the annual smelting of non-ferrous metals in the world), copper (25%), zinc (16%) and lead (11%) are distinguished. The production of nickel, tin, magnesium, cobalt, tungsten, and molybdenum is significant.
The leading branch of non-ferrous metallurgy (in terms of production and use of products) in the modern world economy is the aluminum industry. Among other branches of non-ferrous metallurgy, this branch is distinguished by the greatest complexity of production. The first stage of aluminum production - the extraction of raw materials (bauxite, nepheline, alunite) - focuses on rich deposits. The second stage - the production of aluminum oxide (alumina) - being material-intensive and heat-intensive, tends, as a rule, to sources of raw materials and fuel. And, finally, the third stage - the electrolysis of aluminum oxide - focuses on sources of cheap electricity (large hydroelectric and thermal power plants).
Most of the raw materials (approximately 2/3) are processed into alumina locally - in Australia, Brazil, Russia, etc. Part of the raw materials (approximately 1/3) is exported to countries where aluminum oxide is present main factor- availability of mineral fuel (local or supplied from outside), - USA, Canada, Ukraine, Sardinia (Italy), etc.
The production of aluminum metal has been predominantly developed in countries with large sources of cheap energy - large hydro resources and powerful hydroelectric power plants (USA, Russia, Canada, Brazil, etc.), rich in natural gas (Iraq, the Netherlands, Great Britain, etc.) or coal(Australia, India, China, etc.). In some old, traditional aluminum smelting centers (France, etc.), where energy is expensive, its production has been greatly reduced and is gradually dwindling.
The largest aluminum producers in the world. Largest exporters aluminum are Russia, Venezuela, Brazil, Norway, Canada, Australia.
Thus, the aluminum industry is a vivid example of an industry, with a strong territorial gap between the regions of raw materials extraction, production and consumption.
The copper industry in its location is mainly focused on copper resources (natural and secondary raw materials). The low metal content in copper concentrates (from 8 to 35%), the relatively low energy consumption of their processing (in comparison with aluminum smelting) make it profitable to locate copper production (smelting) in places where copper ores are mined and enriched. Therefore, the places of mining and smelting of copper are often geographically combined. The main areas of copper mining are in the North and Latin America(Chile, USA, Canada, Peru, Mexico), Africa (, Zaire), CIS (Russia, Kazakhstan), Asia (Japan,), Australia and Oceania (Australia, Papua New Guinea).
The main copper-producing countries are also distinguished in copper smelting, the leading place belongs to the USA, Chile, Japan, and the PRC. The leaders also include Germany, Canada and Russia. Part of the mined ore in the form of concentrates and blister copper is exported to other countries (from Papua and the Philippines to, from Latin America to the USA, from Africa to Europe, from Russia and Kazakhstan to Europe and China). Almost 1/5 of the world's copper smelting is based on scrap metal resources. The copper smelting industry in Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium and other countries produces only secondary metal.
The zinc and lead industries usually share a common raw material base- polymetallic ores. Countries with the most large deposits polymetals (USA, Canada, Mexico, Peru in North and Latin America, Ireland and the Federal Republic of Germany in Europe, Russia and Kazakhstan in the CIS, China, Japan, Australia) are also distinguished by their extraction. In terms of lead and zinc smelting, the leading positions in the world are held by China, the USA, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Chile, Italy. Russia is not among the top ten countries in the world production of zinc and lead.
For modern geography The industry is characterized by territorial disunity of places of extraction and enrichment of lead and zinc ores and their metallurgical processing. For example, Ireland, which extracts zinc and lead ores, does not have the capacity to smelt them, while in Japan, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, the size of metal smelting significantly exceeds the size of zinc and lead production in these countries. Along with the influence of other factors, this is explained by the possibility of using long-distance raw materials, since the transportability of zinc and lead concentrates due to their high metal content (from 30 to 70%) is extremely high.
Placement of the tin industry. Most (about 2/3) of the production and smelting of tin is provided by the countries of Southeast Asia, and above all, as well as Indonesia and. Brazil, Australia, Russia, and China also have large volumes of tin mining and smelting.
In the world production of zinc, lead and tin, as well as in the copper industry, the share of secondary raw materials (scrap metal) is high. This is especially typical for non-ferrous metallurgy in developed countries, where secondary raw materials provide 50% of lead smelting, 25% of zinc and tin.
The world's largest gold producers are South Africa (450 tons), USA (350), Australia (300 tons), Canada (170 tons), China (160 tons), Russia (130 tons).
