There was a time when gold attracted researchers to the old western United States. United Today, there is another precious metal that causes a similar fever: cobalt
Cobalt extraction is not yet widespread in the United States. But a number of mining companies are claiming rights in the Idaho, Montana and Alaska regions in search of bluish-white minerals.
There are extraordinary examples of growing interest in cobalt, a key component of lithium-ion batteries. that power electronic devices and electric cars
In the past, cobalt supply depended on the markets for copper and nickel, which were more valuable metals and are usually extracted with cobalt. But with the increase in cobalt prices and projections of its consumption – which indicate an increase of 8 to 10% per year – its status as a secondary product began to change, according to George Heppel, senior badyst at CRU Group at London
About 300 companies in the world are now, looking for cobalt deposits, calculate RAW. The giants of
mining and Glencore also increase their production in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where most of the world's cobalt is found.
In the United States, limited production of cobalt began in 2014 for the first time in four decades. Canadian-based company First Cobalt purchased a mine in Idaho in March and is expected to begin mining it. in about three years.
Cobalt, more than copper or other metal, is the main focus of the mine, according to CEO Trent Mell: "Miners like us have never really been looking for cobalt," he says. he. "There is a lot of cobalt in the world, and as miners we are late."