In the midst of the global energy transition, Quebec has identified minerals of the future, also known as “critical and strategic minerals”. They are essential to the green shift of electrification. Here are some of these materials as well as the evolution of their value on world markets since the beginning of the year.
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LITHIUM
Batteries, glasses, ceramics, lubricating greases, rubber… lithium is used in the manufacture of many products, underlines the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MERN). It is used in energy (manufacture of lithium-ion batteries), in transport (hybrid and electric vehicles) and in telecommunications (cellular telephones).
GRAPHITE
Lithium-ion batteries, coatings, brake and clutch linings, engine parts, electric generators, anti-corrosive paints, industrial lubricants, powders… graphite is very popular. Recently, the explosion in demand for batteries for computers, smart phones and tablets has propelled it to new heights.
NICKEL
Stainless steelnickel-cadmium batteries, lithium-ion batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles… nickel is used in the manufacture of many everyday products, notes Natural Resources Canada (RNC).
COPPER
Wires, electric cablesplumbing, industrial machinery, building materials, solar cells, electric vehicles… copper is highly sought following, underlines the Government of Canada, which also notes that Quebec has extracted more than 36,000 tons of it from its subsoil in 2020.
COBALT
Alloys, superalloys, aerospace, nuclear reactors, dental prostheses, permanent magnets… cobalt is very popular, and is even more so since the rise of electric vehicles whose battery can contain up to 15 kg of cobalt, according to SIDEX, the limited partnership of the Government of Quebec and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ.
Lithium: +200,00 %
Cobalt: -15,59 %
Nickel: +34,58 %
Graphite: +22,77 %
Copper: -14,42 %
*As of October and November 2022.
Source : Trading Economics et YCharts.