QYResearch·2026-02-14 00:48Group 1 - Critical minerals are essential for new energy, high-end manufacturing, and strategic industries, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, tungsten, and rare earth elements [1] - The global critical minerals market is projected to reach approximately $142 billion by 2025 and $213 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of about 8.5% from 2025 to 2030 [3] - Lithium, cobalt, and nickel account for 55% of the market, driven mainly by the demand from electric vehicle batteries and energy storage [3] Group 2 - China is the most complete supply chain country for critical minerals, with lithium production expected to reach 280,000 tons (lithium carbonate equivalent) by 2025, accounting for about 50% of global production [4] - The demand for critical minerals in downstream applications such as new energy vehicles, energy storage, and smart manufacturing is increasing, leading to higher material content per vehicle or component [4][6] - The global sales of new energy vehicles are expected to reach approximately 22 million units by 2025, with energy storage systems projected to have an installed capacity of 200 GWh [6] Group 3 - The critical minerals industry chain consists of three core segments: upstream (mining and initial beneficiation), midstream (refining and alloying), and downstream (applications) [5] - China holds about 35-50% of global critical mineral reserves and 85-90% of rare earth separation capacity, making it a key processing center [5] - The refining cost of high-nickel battery materials accounts for about 15-20% of the total cost of electric vehicle batteries [5] Group 4 - Major companies in the critical minerals sector include China Northern Rare Earth Group, Rongjie Resources, Tianqi Lithium, and others, with projected revenues for 2025 ranging from approximately 45-48 billion RMB for China Northern Rare Earth Group to 2-3 billion USD for MP Materials [7] - Global efforts are underway to localize critical mineral supply chains, with initiatives from the US, EU, and India to enhance midstream refining and downstream processing capabilities [7] Group 5 - Future industry trends include breakthroughs in high-purity material technology, scaling up critical mineral recycling, and increasing the value of mid-heavy rare earths and high-nickel materials [8] - The strategic importance of critical minerals in high-end manufacturing and new energy industries positions supply chain leaders for competitive advantages in the global market [9] - Companies should focus on enhancing midstream refining technology, developing high-value downstream applications, and exploring recycling and value extraction of mid-heavy minerals for sustainable supply chains [9]