Xstrata Rustenburg produces 430Kt of ferrochrome per annum, and is situated in the industrial area of the Rustenburg town, about 4km from the Xstrata Alloys head office. It made its first shipment in 1989. The plant receives its ore supply from the Xstrata-Merafe mining operations in the area. The silvery grey ferrochrome alloy typically produced contains:

• 48-52% Chrome
• 7-8 % Carbon
• 3-5 % Silicon
• 35-37% Iron

The Rustenburg Works consists of:

• Six semi closed arc furnaces with 220 MVA installed capacity, producing a total of 400,000 tonnes
• One pelletising plant which produces agglomerated sintered ore pellets to meet 30% to 40% of the furnaces requirement. The pellets are partially pre-reduced (typically 12% metallization)
• Two block making plants used to agglomerate chromite ore using cement brick making technology. The plants are also used to recycle a substantial portion of the generated waste (up to 65% of the dust captured by the air pollution control equipment)
• Two alloy from slag recovery plants (current capacity 30,000 tonnes per annum)
• Associated pollution control and waste management facilities

Xstrata Rustenburg operation is located in the North-West Province, in the Rustenburg Local Municipality area of jurisdiction, which falls within the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality.

Xstrata Rustenburg operations commenced with the commissioning of furnaces 1 and 2 in 1989. Production capacity was 130 000 tonnes of ferrochrome alloy per annum. In 1990 a third furnace was commissioned producing 65 000 tonnes of ferrochrome per annum. This development was followed by the commissioned of a Recovery plant in 1992 with a total production of 24 000 tonnes per annum. During 1995 furnace 4 was commissioned producing 87 000 tonnes per annum. Two years later Xstrata purchased two furnaces 5 and 6 from CMI with a production capacity of 120 000 tonnes per annum. The pelletising plant was commissioned in 2002 and thereafter in 2005 the second alloy recovery plant was commissioned. Xstrata Rustenburg Works received its SABS ISO 9002 listing in 1993 and ISO 14001: 1996 in 1999. The Rustenburg plant ISO 9001: 2000 and ISO 14001: 2004 certifications from the SABS were obtained in 2002 and 2006 respectively.