TECHNOLOGY
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2018 may very well go down in history as a key turning point for the cobalt industry . We can already point to the rise in demand for electric vehicles ( EVs ) dependent on ion lithium batteries , a notable increase in cobalt operations all over the world and , perhaps most notably , one of the biggest technology companies in the world redefining its cobalt supply chain .
It is the rise in battery technology ( cobalt is a key component of lithium ion batteries ) that has completely changed the industry ’ s outlook on the metal . In fact , Trent Mell , President and CEO of First Cobalt Corp , believes that on a historic level cobalt has “ somehow been forgotten ”.
“ Cobalt has always been seen as a by-product ,” he says . “ It was often overlooked and now we are seeing a lot of potential in like Canada where historically it just hasn ’ t been explored .”
First Cobalt is a vertically integrated North American pure-play cobalt company . Its ambition ? To be the largest in the world . The company currently has three assets across North America : the Iron Creek Project in Idaho , the Canadian Cobalt Camp , and the only permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing battery materials .
First Cobalt was formed with cobalt as a primary focus , even if that cobalt is still a by-product . Currently , the major source
SEPTEMBER 2018