Preventing potential shortages

By 2035, annual cobalt requirements could increase in Europe by nearly 30,000 tonnes. This rise is related to the boom of rechargeable batteries used in mobile phones and electric cars. For Europe, meeting such a demand as well as ensuring the supply of cobalt poses a real challenge: according to data derived from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), it would be necessary to open as many cobalt mines, every 3 years, as Russia (as the second world producer of cobalt).