Critical Minerals

Lithium, Copper, Rare Earths, Nickel, Cobalt — the mining inputs of the global energy transition. Mineralis Phase 2 coverage goes live Q4 2026.

Why Critical Minerals?

The energy transition (EV adoption, solar buildout, wind expansion, battery storage, power-grid modernization) is mineral-intensive. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that by 2040 global demand for Critical Minerals will be 4-6x higher than in 2020 — driven primarily by battery metals (Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, Graphite) and grid-infrastructure metals (Copper, Aluminum).

Major mining companies historically started the Critical Minerals pivot too slowly — their capex allocation was concentrated on gold and bulk commodities (Iron Ore, Coal). The Junior mining pipeline for Critical Minerals is therefore disproportionately important: 80%+ of lithium discoveries and 70%+ of rare-earth discoveries currently come from Juniors.

Any investor tracking the energy-transition mining pipeline needs Junior coverage. Mainstream equity-research platforms (Bloomberg, Refinitiv) cover the major producers — but not the Junior discovery companies, where the value creation of the next 10 years will originate.

Per-Commodity Overview

Lithium

Demand: Demand CAGR ~25% through 2030 (EV batteries)
Jurisdictions: Australia, Chile, Argentina, USA (Nevada Lithium Triangle)
Junior Pipeline Share: High — 80%+ of lithium discoveries come from Juniors

Copper

Demand: Demand doubling by 2040 (power grids, EV, solar)
Jurisdictions: Chile, Peru, DR Congo, USA (Arizona), Poland
Junior Pipeline Share: Medium — Major-dominated, but Junior pipeline critical for the next generation

Rare Earths

Demand: Strategic for permanent magnets (wind, EV), defense
Jurisdictions: China dominates (80% production), USA/Australia making substitution investments
Junior Pipeline Share: Very high — many Junior explorers in the West, China-diversification imperative

Nickel

Demand: Growing for battery-grade nickel (NMC/NCA cathodes)
Jurisdictions: Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Australia, Canada
Junior Pipeline Share: Medium — Indonesian major operations dominate, Junior discoveries in Australia important

Cobalt

Demand: EV battery component, supply bottleneck
Jurisdictions: DR Congo 70%+ (ESG issues), Australia, Canada as diversification
Junior Pipeline Share: Medium-High — Junior coverage important for ethically-sourced alternatives

Coverage Roadmap

Q4 2026 — Phase 2 Launch
100 Critical Minerals companies: 30 lithium producers, 25 copper, 20 rare earth, 15 nickel, 10 cobalt. Junior and mid-tier dominant.
Q2 2027 — Expansion
500 companies including Junior explorers with discovery pipeline. Discovery Radar v1 prioritizes Critical Minerals drill results.
Q4 2027 — Full Coverage
1,500 Critical Minerals companies total. Coverage parity with gold sector.

Phase 2 coverage starts after Plan v0.2 / v0.3 MAS-Score completion (all 8 sub-scores live). Current Phase 1 is gold-only.