Previous Year Question
About three-fourths of world’s cobalt, a metal required for the manufacture of batteries for electric motor vehicles, is produced by
Argentina
Botswana
the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kazakhstan
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the world’s largest producer of cobalt. At the time of the examination, it accounted for approximately 70%—close to three-fourths—of global cobalt production. Therefore, option C is correct.
Most cobalt is not extracted from independent cobalt mines. It is obtained as a by-product of copper and nickel mining. In the DRC, a large proportion of cobalt is recovered from copper mines.
Cobalt is an important metal used in the cathodes of lithium-ion batteries. It helps improve battery energy density, stability and performance. Consequently, it is important for batteries used in electric vehicles, mobile phones, laptops and other electronic devices.
The heavy concentration of cobalt production in the DRC makes the global supply chain vulnerable to political instability, trade disruptions, and social and environmental problems associated with mining. According to the IEA, the DRC supplied approximately 70% of global cobalt production. Thus, compared with the other countries given in the options, the DRC is clearly the correct answer.