Production of cobalt sulphate to rise 26.4% YoY in 2018

SHANGHAI, Dec 24 (SMM) – SMM expects domestic production of cobalt salt to increase 12.3% from 2017, and stand at 62,300 mt this year. Among this, output of cobalt sulphate is likely to rise 26.4% year on year to 37,300 mt, while cobalt chloride will fall 4% to 25,000 mt. 

Expectations of high downstream consumption buoyed production of cobalt sulphate over the year, though environmental inspection in the second quarter affected output in provinces of Jiangsu, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang. 

In 2017, cobalt sulphate producers operated at an average level above 75%, as rising prices of cobalt pulled prices of cobalt salt in the first quarter of 2017.