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RapidKnowHow: STRATEGIC RAW MATERIALS
🇨🇱 South America → Lithium (Chile), Copper (Peru)
🇨🇳 China → Rare Earths, Graphite
🌍 Central Africa → Cobalt (DRC)
🌏 Southeast Asia → Nickel (Indonesia)
Die strategisch wichtigsten Rohstoffe der Welt sind essenziell für moderne Technologien, die Energiewende und die Rüstungsindustrie. Ihre Vorkommen sind geografisch ungleich verteilt, und ihre Lieferketten werden von wenigen Akteuren kontrolliert. Hier ein Überblick über die bedeutendsten Rohstoffe, ihre Hauptvorkommen und die Kontrolle über die Lieferketten:
🔑 1. Lithium
- Verwendung: Akkus für Elektrofahrzeuge, Energiespeicher, Smartphones
- Hauptvorkommen: Australien, Chile, Argentinien, China
- Lieferkettenkontrolle: Australien ist führend im Abbau, während China über erhebliche Raffineriekapazitäten verfügt und somit einen Großteil der Weiterverarbeitung kontrolliert.
🔑 2. Kobalt
- Verwendung: Lithium-Ionen-Batterien, Legierungen, Luft- und Raumfahrt
- Hauptvorkommen: Demokratische Republik Kongo (ca. 70 % der weltweiten Produktion), Australien, Kuba
- Lieferkettenkontrolle: Obwohl die DR Kongo die größten Reserven besitzt, kontrollieren chinesische Unternehmen wie China Molybdenum und Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt den Großteil des Abbaus und der Weiterverarbeitung. Wikipedia
🔑 3. Seltene Erden (z. B. Neodym, Dysprosium, Terbium)
- Verwendung: Magnete für Windturbinen, Elektrofahrzeuge, Elektronik
- Hauptvorkommen: China (Bayan-Obo-Mine), Australien (Mount Weld), USA (Mountain Pass)
- Lieferkettenkontrolle: China dominiert mit über 90 % die globale Raffination und Verarbeitung seltener Erden und hat kürzlich Exportkontrollen verschärft. Wikipedia
🔑 4. Nickel
- Verwendung: Batterien, Edelstahl, Legierungen
- Hauptvorkommen: Indonesien, Philippinen, Russland, Kanada
- Lieferkettenkontrolle: Indonesien hat den Export von unverarbeitetem Nickel eingeschränkt, um die lokale Verarbeitung zu fördern. China investiert stark in indonesische Verarbeitungsanlagen.
🔑 5. Graphit
- Verwendung: Anodenmaterial in Batterien, Schmierstoffe
- Hauptvorkommen: China, Mosambik, Brasilien
- Lieferkettenkontrolle: China produziert über 60 % des natürlichen Graphits und dominiert die Verarbeitung zu batterietauglichem Material.
🔑 6. Kupfer
- Verwendung: Elektroinstallationen, erneuerbare Energien, Militärtechnik
- Hauptvorkommen: Chile, Peru, China, USA
- Lieferkettenkontrolle: Große Bergbauunternehmen wie BHP und Glencore kontrollieren bedeutende Anteile der globalen Produktion. Financial Times
🔑 7. Gallium und Germanium
- Verwendung: Halbleiter, Solarzellen, Telekommunikation
- Hauptvorkommen: China, Russland, Deutschland
- Lieferkettenkontrolle: China hat kürzlich Exportkontrollen eingeführt, um die Kontrolle über diese strategischen Rohstoffe zu verstärken.
🌍 Globale Kontrolle der Lieferketten
China hat durch jahrzehntelange Investitionen eine dominierende Stellung in der Verarbeitung und Raffination vieler kritischer Rohstoffe erlangt. Die EU und die USA sind stark abhängig von Importen und haben Initiativen wie den Critical Raw Materials Act gestartet, um die Versorgungssicherheit zu erhöhen und die Abhängigkeit zu reduzieren.
Strategic Raw Materials Insight Tool
Dive deep into location-specific value chains, ESG Scores, and risks.
Click a material to explore its strategic value chain
Lithium – Powering Batteries and Electric Mobility
ESG Score: Medium – water usage in brine extraction, improving traceability
Disruption Risk: Medium – concentrated refining in China, rising demand shock risk
Locations: Chile, Argentina, Australia, China
Applications: EV batteries, grid storage, smartphones
Supply Chains: Brine extraction → Refining → Cell manufacturing
Strategic Owners: Albemarle, SQM, Tianqi Lithium, CATL
Recommended Actions: Secure long-term offtake, invest in local refining, develop recycling capability in EU.
Applications: EV batteries, grid storage, smartphones
Supply Chains: Brine extraction → Refining → Cell manufacturing
Strategic Owners: Albemarle, SQM, Tianqi Lithium, CATL
Recommended Actions: Secure long-term offtake, invest in local refining, develop recycling capability in EU.
Rare Earths – Enabling Green Tech & Defense
ESG Score: Low – toxic waste in separation process, lax enforcement
Disruption Risk: Very High – 85%+ control by China, export weaponization risk
Locations: China, Myanmar, USA, Australia
Applications: Wind turbines, EV motors, military electronics
Supply Chains: Ore mining → Separation → Magnet manufacturing
Strategic Owners: China Northern Rare Earth, Lynas, MP Materials
Recommended Actions: Reduce China dependency, support EU/US refining capacity, explore substitutions.
Applications: Wind turbines, EV motors, military electronics
Supply Chains: Ore mining → Separation → Magnet manufacturing
Strategic Owners: China Northern Rare Earth, Lynas, MP Materials
Recommended Actions: Reduce China dependency, support EU/US refining capacity, explore substitutions.
Copper – Backbone of Electrification
ESG Score: Medium – energy-intensive mining, major investments in clean copper
Disruption Risk: Medium – political unrest in Latin America, aging infrastructure
Locations: Chile, Peru, DRC, Zambia
Applications: EVs, renewable grids, construction
Supply Chains: Mining → Smelting → Wire production
Strategic Owners: Codelco, Glencore, Freeport-McMoRan
Recommended Actions: Invest in smelting near demand centers, digitize mine-to-wire flows, build copper recycling hubs.
Applications: EVs, renewable grids, construction
Supply Chains: Mining → Smelting → Wire production
Strategic Owners: Codelco, Glencore, Freeport-McMoRan
Recommended Actions: Invest in smelting near demand centers, digitize mine-to-wire flows, build copper recycling hubs.
Nickel – Fueling Battery Energy Density
ESG Score: Medium – water-intensive refining, improving regulations in Indonesia
Disruption Risk: High – political volatility and export controls in SE Asia Locations: Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Canada
Applications: EV batteries (NMC chemistry), stainless steel
Supply Chains: Laterite mining → HPAL refining → Battery-grade nickel sulfate
Strategic Owners: Tsingshan, Vale, Norilsk, BHP
Recommended Actions: Secure ESG-compliant supply in Indonesia, invest in HPAL tech, align with North American gigafactories.
Disruption Risk: High – political volatility and export controls in SE Asia Locations: Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Canada
Applications: EV batteries (NMC chemistry), stainless steel
Supply Chains: Laterite mining → HPAL refining → Battery-grade nickel sulfate
Strategic Owners: Tsingshan, Vale, Norilsk, BHP
Recommended Actions: Secure ESG-compliant supply in Indonesia, invest in HPAL tech, align with North American gigafactories.
Graphite – Enabling Battery Anodes
ESG Score: Medium-Low – purification emissions, high China concentration
Disruption Risk: Medium – supply constrained to few refineries, rising demand pressure
Locations: China, Mozambique, Madagascar, Canada
Applications: EV battery anodes, fuel cells, lubricants
Supply Chains: Flake mining → Purification → Anode production
Strategic Owners: Syrah Resources, Imerys, Heilongjiang JinYang
Recommended Actions: Support synthetic and natural graphite diversification, boost EU/US purification plants.
Applications: EV battery anodes, fuel cells, lubricants
Supply Chains: Flake mining → Purification → Anode production
Strategic Owners: Syrah Resources, Imerys, Heilongjiang JinYang
Recommended Actions: Support synthetic and natural graphite diversification, boost EU/US purification plants.
Cobalt – Critical for Battery Stability
ESG Score: Low – ethical sourcing concerns in DRC
Disruption Risk: Very High – 70%+ dependence on unstable regions
Locations: DRC, Russia, Australia, Canada
Applications: EV batteries, superalloys, defense electronics
Supply Chains: Copper-cobalt ore mining → Refining → Cathode production
Strategic Owners: Glencore, ERG, Huayou, China Moly
Recommended Actions: Reduce child labor exposure in DRC, secure traceable cobalt, invest in battery recycling and substitution R&D.
Applications: EV batteries, superalloys, defense electronics
Supply Chains: Copper-cobalt ore mining → Refining → Cathode production
Strategic Owners: Glencore, ERG, Huayou, China Moly
Recommended Actions: Reduce child labor exposure in DRC, secure traceable cobalt, invest in battery recycling and substitution R&D.
Strategic World Map – Raw Materials & Geopolitical Flashpoints
China–South China Sea: Rare Earth choke point; military build-up affects export control leverage.
Chile–Peru (Andean Belt): Lithium & copper sources at risk from populist policy swings and mining protests.
DRC–Zambia–Tanzania Corridor: Copper and cobalt flows exposed to governance risk and militant groups.
Australia–Pacific Rim: Strategic supplier for allies; tensions over Chinese port access & rare earth routes.
Arctic Passage: Untapped rare material reserves under new claim battles (Russia, US, Canada, China).
Recommendation: Align resource strategy with global risk maps. Use flashpoint tracking in investment decisions.
Chile–Peru (Andean Belt): Lithium & copper sources at risk from populist policy swings and mining protests.
DRC–Zambia–Tanzania Corridor: Copper and cobalt flows exposed to governance risk and militant groups.
Australia–Pacific Rim: Strategic supplier for allies; tensions over Chinese port access & rare earth routes.
Arctic Passage: Untapped rare material reserves under new claim battles (Russia, US, Canada, China).
Recommendation: Align resource strategy with global risk maps. Use flashpoint tracking in investment decisions.
