Feb 25 2014
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Cobalt Market 2014-2018" report to their offering.
The analysts forecast the Global Cobalt market to grow at a CAGR of 6.05 percent over the period 2013-2018. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increased demand for cobalt from the Battery Chemicals industry. The Global Cobalt market has also been witnessing the supply constraints of cobalt leading to high prices. However, the cobalt supply challenges could pose a challenge to the growth of this market.
Key vendors dominating this space are Glencore Xstrata plc, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., Open Joint Stock Company Mining and Metallurgical Company Norilsk Nickel, Sherritt International Corp., and Umicore S.A.
Other vendors mentioned in the report are BHP Billiton plc, Chambishi Metals plc, Formation Metals Inc., and Vale S.A.
Commenting on the report, an analyst from the team said: The Global Cobalt market is experiencing supply challenges as a result of issues principally in the DRC, such as the government's ban on the export of raw minerals, project ownership grabs, power and water shortages, armed conflicts, and general political and socio-economic instability in the West African region. The supply side of cobalt is shrinking while the demand for the metal is increasing, which is leading to higher prices for cobalt in the market. Due to the lack of reliability of the supply from the DRC and limited inventories, the Global Cobalt market is facing supply pressures which will drive cobalt prices higher in the coming years.
According to the report, one of the key drivers in this market is the increased demand for cobalt from the Battery Chemicals industry for the production of rechargeable and recyclable batteries. Since cobalt is a strategic metal, another key driver is the increased use of cobalt in various industries and sectors such as Battery Chemicals, Superalloys, Renewable Energy, Healthcare, Defense, and Catalysts.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/plp3zz/global_cobalt