The global cobalt demand, for example, increased by more than 5 times between 19, and almost half of the global cobalt use in 2019 was for batteries 18. Therefore, understanding the demand for such critical materials and exploring mitigation strategies for potential supply risks are essential for ensuring a green and low-carbon future 16, 17. 11, China 12, the EU 13, Japan 14, and Australia 15 due to their potential geopolitical supply risks and the importance of the renewable energy transition. Both lithium and cobalt are deemed critical materials by major economies such as the U.S. In particular, while the decarbonization of the transport sector can benefit from sustainable fuels such as electrofuels and biomethane 8, battery technology, which depends fundamentally on critical materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, is widely deemed indispensable in renewable energy storage and automobile electrification 9, 10. While renewable energy and low-carbon technology transitions are imperative to achieve the climate neutrality and post-COVID-19 green recovery ambitions of many countries 1, 2, such transitions require various types and significant amounts of critical materials (e.g., rare earth for magnets, platinum for catalysts, and lithium for batteries) 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Our results reveal varying cobalt supply security levels by region and indicate the urgency of boosting primary cobalt supply to ensure global e-mobility ambitions. However, the cobalt supply shortage appears inevitable in the short- to medium-term (during 2028-2033), even under the most technologically optimistic scenario. We show that cobalt-free batteries and recycling progress can indeed significantly alleviate long-term cobalt supply risks. Here, we address this gap by simulating historical (1998-2019) and future (2020-2050) global cobalt cycles covering both traditional and emerging end uses with regional resolution (China, the U.S., Japan, the EU, and the rest of the world). While battery technology and recycling advancement are two widely acknowledged strategies for addressing such supply risks, the extent to which they will relieve global and regional cobalt demand–supply imbalance remains poorly understood. government due to its use in the military and energy sectors.In recent years, increasing attention has been given to the potential supply risks of critical battery materials, such as cobalt, for electric mobility transitions. Cobalt is considered a critical mineral by the U.S.

Defense Department has awarded the company $15 million for drilling and a feasibility study of a cobalt refinery in the U.S. Jervois Global CEO Bryce Crocker said the company expects to complete construction of the mine and commission it when cobalt prices recover. halted construction on the Idaho project in March, citing falling cobalt prices fueled by competition from China and Congo. In a blow to American production, an Australian mining company that had been set to open the only cobalt mine in the U.S. The measure also would require the president to identify and impose sanctions, including visa and transaction prohibitions, on foreign actors who facilitate and exploit child labor in Congo. legislation would prohibit importing “goods, wares, articles, or merchandise containing metals or minerals, in particular cobalt and lithium and their derivatives, mined, produced, smelted or processed, wholly or in part, by child labor or forced labor in the DRC,” Smith’s office said.

Who mines cobalt for batteries