Cobalt Production Data — DRC Global Dominance

Global Cobalt Supply

Global mined cobalt production reached approximately 230,000 tonnes in 2024, with the DRC accounting for roughly 75% of global supply. The Lobito Corridor region is the undisputed centre of global cobalt production, making corridor infrastructure and governance critical for EV battery supply chains worldwide.

How to Read This Page

Read this dataset as a supply-chain concentration page. The DRC share shows global dependency, while the industrial and artisanal split shows very different governance, ESG, and traceability risks. For corridor analysis, the relevant question is which cobalt flows can be moved through a transparent Atlantic route and which remain tied to existing refining, aggregation, or offtake systems.

DRC Production

The DRC's cobalt output comes predominantly as a by-product of copper mining in the former Katanga province. Tenke Fungurume (operated by CMOC) is the world's largest cobalt mine, producing over 25,000 tonnes annually. Other major contributors include Kamoto (KCC), Mutanda, and Kisanfu.

The DRC government created the Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC) as the sole legal buyer of artisanal cobalt, aiming to formalise the sector and address child labour concerns. Implementation has been uneven, and the cobalt export ban debate periodically disrupts markets.

Industrial Mine Output

Artisanal & Small-Scale Mining

An estimated 150,000–200,000 artisanal miners work in cobalt extraction across the DRC's Copperbelt, producing roughly 20–30% of the country's total cobalt output. ASM cobalt raises significant ESG concerns around child labour, unsafe working conditions, and environmental degradation. Our DRC artisanal mining guide provides comprehensive analysis of formalisation efforts.

Refining & Processing

China controls over 80% of global cobalt refining capacity, with Huayou Cobalt and CNGR Advanced Material operating major refineries both in China and increasingly within the DRC itself. The Chinese dominance of cobalt processing is a primary driver behind Western efforts to develop alternative supply chains through the Lobito Corridor.

Market Outlook

Cobalt demand is projected to grow 8–12% annually through 2030, driven primarily by EV battery demand. However, oversupply from Indonesian nickel-cobalt operations and LFP battery adoption (which uses no cobalt) create uncertainty. DRC producers face price pressure but retain structural advantages in grade and scale. The corridor's role in providing alternative export routes to Chinese-controlled channels gives it strategic importance for Western supply chain diversification.

Data Caveats

Cobalt figures are less straightforward than copper figures because much output is produced as a by-product, artisanal volumes are estimated, and material may be reported as contained cobalt, hydroxide, or refined product depending on the source. Treat the industrial and artisanal rows as supply-chain indicators rather than a complete audited reconciliation.

What to Monitor

Monitor DRC policy toward artisanal cobalt, EGC implementation, any cobalt export restrictions, the share of material moving through Chinese-controlled refining channels, and whether Lobito shipments are linked to verifiable chain-of-custody systems. Route diversification has limited strategic value if traceability and processing control remain unchanged.