Conflict-free cobalt to remain industry question, opportunity as DRC dominates supply

Sourcing conflict-free cobalt for application in new technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries, will remain both a concern and an opportunity for manufacturers for years to come, as production is dominated by the politically unstable Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Central African country, which has a long and well documented history of political conflict, produces about 64% of the world’s cobalt, while China accounts for about 57% of global refined supply.