Market outlook for niobium

SFA’s Niobium 2035 Market Outlook report keeps you informed of the rapidly evolving niobium market, equipping you with a competitive edge through in-depth market intelligence and ferroniobium price forecasts. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of niobium market trends, tailored to meet individual client strategic requirements and equip you with the insights needed to navigate market volatility and secure long-term supply covering:

Niobium demand impacts and new market threats:

• Macroeconomic factors shaping long-term niobium supply and demand, including technological advancements and industrial growth across key regions (global, N. America, Europe, Japan, China and the Rest of the World).

• Rising niobium demand in infrastructure, aerospace, and clean energy highlights its unmatched strength, corrosion resistance, and superconductivity amid supply challenges and the need for advanced materials.

• Niobium’s growing role in next-generation battery technologies, particularly in solid-state and fast-charging lithium-ion batteries.

• Strategic market integration: Understand niobium's critical applications in renewables, defence and space industries, e-mobility, robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and 3D printing, underscoring its versatility and strategic importance.

• Ferroniobium market trends, with ferroniobium price outlooks driven by global steel demand, supply chain risks, and material substitution pressures.

• Competitive risks from vanadium substitution in high-strength steels and alloys, influenced by evolving cost structures and supply constraints.

• Global trade flows and supply chain dependencies, examining China’s influence and the competitive positioning of Brazil, Canada, and other key producers.

• Future supply-demand scenarios evaluating ferroniobium price trends in response to technological adoption, policy shifts, and market disruptions.
  
  

Niobium supply and production economic impacts:

• Overview of major industry players and market developments, discussing key producers such as CBMM, CMOC, and Magris Performance Materials. Includes ownership history, deposit extraction, mine lifespan, processing capabilities, product availability, and market influence.

• Resources and reserves: Evaluation of global niobium reserves, focusing on dominant deposits in Brazil (Araxá, Catalão-II), Canada (St-Honoré), and other emerging sources.

• Extraction feasibility and supply security: Analysis of the economic viability of bulk, low-grade, disseminated ore deposits from carbonatites and the challenges of processing these resources.

• Ferroniobium production: Assessment of ferroniobium alloy production from pyrochlore, its role in the steel industry, and supply chain stability.

• A detailed review of additional global niobium-bearing projects with future extraction potential, that could influence SFA's niobium market balance and ferroniobium price forecast out to 2035.

• Market concentration and supply risks: Analysis of niobium’s highly concentrated reserves, highlighting resource constraints and long-term supply security concerns.

• Company flowsheets detailing extraction, refining, and processing methods, including pyrochlore concentration, hydrometallurgical treatment, and final products including ferroniobium, niobium metal, niobium carbide, special oxides and other forms.

• Future production outlook: A comprehensive review of upcoming niobium projects through to 2035, assessing deposit grades, production volumes, investment challenges, and potential risks shaping the industry’s development.
  
  

Niobium price forecasts and market scenarios:

• A niobium supply and demand outlook, providing strategic insights into potential pinch points.

• Forecasts on ferroniobium pricing trends to 2035, incorporating supply risks, technological shifts, substitution potential, and geopolitical considerations.

Who should read this report?

• All industry stakeholders and new business entrants who need to keep abreast of the evolving influences on the niobium market and niobium prices, including end-users, mining companies and juniors. 

• Investors and financial institutions needing to understand and quantify the risks and opportunities in the industry, future costs of niobium production and short- to long-term niobium prices.

Live Q&A with the analysts

• Our niobium market report is supported by a video call, most often hosted through MS Teams, which is led by Beresford Clarke, along with our team of expert  analysts, to run through the 2035 Niobium Market Report, and address any further questions your team may have.