Battery boom relies on DRC avoiding chaos of past
The cars of the future will depend increasingly on supplies of an obscure metal from a country in the African tropics where there has never been a peaceful transition of power and child labour is still used in parts of the mining industry.
Most major automakers are pledging to build millions of electric vehicles as the world’s governments crack down on climate-damaging emissions from traditional-fuel engines. As a result, demand is surging for lithium-ion batteries, and the materials needed to make them include cobalt, a relatively rare substance found mostly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The country, formerly known as Zaire, supplies 63% of the world’s cobalt. Its market share may increase to 73% by 2025 as producers like Glencore expand mines, according to Wood Mackenzie. By 2030, global demand could be 47 times more than it was last year, Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates.
“There are a lot of grand plans being put in place by automotive manufacturers, but not many of them seem to have considered the cobalt supply chain,” says Wood Mackenzie director of cross-commodity analytics, in London, Gavin Montgomery.
Few commodity markets are so dominated by one supplier, and that presents a problem for the world’s automakers.
Cobalt is a by-product of copper and nickel mining. Until recently, there were often surplus supplies, as it was used mostly to harden steel. But the metal’s ability to efficiently conduct electricity has made it essential for high-end rechargeable batteries. A typical power unit in an electric car contains about 15 kg of cobalt, though some varieties use less than 5 kg.
Over the next two decades, the global fleet of electric vehicles may reach 282-million, or about 16% of all cars on the road, BNEF analysts estimate.
Denne historien er fra November 03, 2017-utgaven av Mining Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra November 03, 2017-utgaven av Mining Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Supply Cliff?
Commodities supply shortfall looming following years of underinvestment
Strikes Threaten Coal Sector
If an agreement cannot be reached on the future structure and form of wage nego­tiations in the coal sector, unions have threatened to strike, says Solidarity mining industry deputy general secretary Connie Prinsloo.
Continued Focus On Downstream Development
Continued Focus On Downstream Development
Unrelenting Scourge
Mining fatalities in South Africa rise for first time in decade
Plea For Open Discussion
Diamonds body calls for ‘productive dialogue’ on Kimberley Process reform
Deep Potential
Stillwater deal seen positioning Sibanye as globally competitive mining champion.
Explosive Advantage
Explosives reloading system helping Gold One to reduce mining costs.
Critical Juncture
South Africa’s mining sector at a crossroads, collaborative effort required.
Consulting Engineering's Viability Proportional to Mining's Growth
The consulting engineer-ing industry’s sustain-ability and growth are largely dependent on and proportional to the mining industry’s sustainability and growth respectively, says industry body Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa).
Greater Emphasis On Ensuring Sustainability
Engineering expertise can be used to generate socio-economic gains for mining companies, particularly in jurisdictions that are dependent on the finite business of mineral extraction, states global engineering and infrastructure advisory firm Aurecon, an adviser to the African mining sector.
