Molybdenum: Corrosion-resistant
and able to withstand extreme temperatures, this super-strong metal
is used in everything from aircraft parts, railways, nuclear power
plants, skyscrapers, and automobiles to stainless steel products in
homes all over the world. Its growing popularity led the London Metal
Exchange to add it their list of traded commodities in 2008. And it's
such a crucial ingredient of India and China's rapid urbanization
that consumption is expected to double by 2020.
Lithium: One
of the most crucial metals in the world, lithium is used
in medicines, ceramics and glass, and now powers laptops, iPhones,
and electric cars. Prices have already tripled over just the last
decade. The Techno-economic Research Unit Group sees demand more than
doubling by 2020, while the U.S. Department of Energy estimates
demand for large lithium batteries soaring from 10,000 metric tonnes
per year... to over 500,000 by 2050.
Zinc: It's
the fourth most widely-used metal today — and
for many good reasons. One reason is its role in strengthening steels
for the construction of buildings, homes ,and businesses. And
although China already consumes 59% more zinc than Europe, Japan, and
the U.S. combined, it still can’t
get enough as its demand continues outpacing production. Consulting
firm Beijing Antaike even projects a shortage of 100,000 tons by 2013
and 150,000 tons by 2014.
Cobalt: Surging
demand for smartphones, iPads, super-alloys and high-speed steel
around the world has shot this metal up 600% since
2002, with supply still trailing demand by 47%. And it’s only
getting started, as cobalt is also an essential ingredient in many
lithium-ion batteries set to power the electric car revolution, with
Credit Suisse estimating hybrid electric vehicle sales surging 1,525%
by 2020. No wonder this metal is considered so strategic that the
U.S., EU, Japan, and the Netherlands now require it for stockpile.
Copper: It's
sleeping right now... but make no mistake, the red metal is destined
for a massive rebound as huge swaths of China's rural population
continues flooding to the cities, creating a huge demand for any and
everything powered by electricity. Heck, China alone is expected to
triple its copper consumption by 2020, according to London’s CRU
Group. Then there's India, set to leapfrog over the U.S., Korea,
Japan, and Germany to become the world’s second-largest copper
consumer. In fact, Chile's own copper commission, COCHILCO, estimates
that in the next ten years, Indian demand for copper will grow from
600,000 tons to 3.4 million tons annually.
Nickel: One
of the most sought-after metals in the world, it has literally
thousands of uses in everything from stainless steel to rechargeable
batteries, special alloys, gas turbines, electric guitar strings, and
so much more. Not only that, the U.S. government considers nickel to
be so crucial that the Treasury can recall 5-cent coins at any time
for military purposes... Demand just keeps growing and growing. Right
now, China is quietly buying stakes in junior miners to lock in
supplies — and
is expected to account for 40% of global nickel consumption by 2015,
up from just 12% in 2004.
Vanadium: It's
the "plastic" of the 21st century: a super-light,
super-strong metal that's about to take center stage in the renewable
energy and electric car era. Adding just 0.09% of vanadium to steel
increases its strength by 100% — while
decreasing weight and energy consumption by 30% — making it ideal
for use in buildings, bridges, cars, cranes, pipelines, ships, and
engines. In fact, when Subaru added it to the lithium batteries in
its G4e Concept cars, total travel distance from a single charge
soared from 40km to 200 km. No wonder China plans to double vanadium
output in three to five years, just to meet surging domestic
demand...
Source: Energy and Capital
