A reasonably recent article...good outlook for Mn...especially battery grade...

Manganese: No Longer Just an Input on Steel By Wajd Boubou, President, Giyani Metals March 7, 2019
in Technology Metals Edition Insight
(use above verbatim to find full article)

snippets below

Global ProductionManganese is produced and traded globally in five major categories:Manganese Ore – Global output of manganese ore increased in 2017 to 18.6 million mt (Mn contained), up by 23% YoY.Silico-Manganese – Global production of silico-manganese increased in 2017, reaching a record high of 13.8 million mt. a 10.5% increase YoY.Ferro-Manganese – In 2017, production stood at 5.8 million mt, an 18% increase YoY.Electrolytic Manganese Metal (EMM) – Global production in 2017 increased by 37% YoY to 1.74 million mt.Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide (EMD) – Global production in 2017 reached 400,000 mt, a 4% YoY increase.

Roskill forecasts that manganese demand, just from lithium-ion batteries, will grow at a compounded annual rate of 23% from now until 2027. This growth will be largely underpinned by demand for NMC cathodes, driven by demand from the automotive sector.

Manganese Ore Consumption in BatteriesMn ore consumption from EMD represented 2% of global ore demand in 2017, while other Mn chemicals, including Mn3O5, Mn oxide, Mn sulphate, etc., represented 2% of total Mn ore consumption in the same year. EMM accounted for 12% of global ore demand, with the remaining 86% consumed by manganese alloys to make steel. Manganese-based batteries are mainly produced from manganese chemicals, and to a smaller extent from manganese metal.To conclude, with the rising global adoption of battery-powered EVs, demand and consumption of battery metals is expected to grow ten-fold by 2020 according to Bloomberg NEF, and manganese demand from the battery sector is likely to ride this wave for years to come. It will remain a niche market compared to steel applications, but it’s a premium market where battery-grade manganese products enjoy a much healthier margin than that of the traditional steel applications.