ALMON, Idaho (AP) — Officials with an Australian company’s newly opened cobalt mine in east-central Idaho say it could soon produce enough of the key ingredient in lithium batteries to build 400,000 electric vehicles annually. Officials with Jervois Global Limited held an opening ceremony last week at the mine. They say the remote, underground mine will likely start operating at full capacity early in 2023. President Joe Biden in March directed the Defense Department to consider at least five metals — lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel and manganese — as essential to national security and authorized steps to bolster domestic supplies. U.S. officials want to reduce reliance on China and other countries for the metals.
Australian company opens cobalt mine in eastern Idaho
