© Reuters. Artisanal miners work at the Tilwizembe, a former industrial copper-cobalt mine, outside of Kolwezi, the capital city of Lualaba Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, June 11, 2016. REUTERS/Aaron Ross/File Photo
(Reuters) – A fall in the price of cobalt, a silvery-blue metal used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, electronics and the defence sector, has yet to deter many Chinese-owned and other mines from expanding or maintaining output.
Most of the expansions are in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the dominant producer with nearly 70% of global supply, but Indonesia is a growth area.
Some projects have been delayed because of the weak prices and major producer Glencore (OTC:) has said it may trim output.
Below are the status of current and future cobalt operations.
DELAYS, POSSIBLE CUTS
Glencore’s CEO said in August the company had stockpiled material and would consider cutting production in response to weak prices, although so far production has remained steady.
The company owns the Mutanda copper-cobalt operation in Congo, the world’s biggest cobalt mine, which along with other operations pumped 32,500 metric tonnes of…
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