Aluminum is set to reach its highest price for more than 30 years, according to the CEO of mining company Eurasian Resources Group.

In 2021, the price of the metal surged to a 13-year high, gaining over 40 percent year-on-year.

Benedikt Sobotka believes a combination of Chinese demand, a global focus on renewables, and rising electric vehicle production will further push up the cost of aluminum over the upcoming 12 months.

In a report, he said: “We believe that aluminum has strong potential to outperform other LME base metals in 2022, having again breached the important milestone of USD 3,000/tonne at the start of this year. The market will remain in a sizable deficit for the second consecutive year, with visible inventories at the lowest level since the global financial crisis.”

His comments came after a year in which the cost of metals and other commodities rose, with copper, iron ore and natural gas prices hitting all-time highs.  

“The main driving forces for these markets were supply chain disruptions, production restrictions in China, the energy crisis, a stimulus-led consumption boom in the US and depleted inventories,” said Sobotka.

As well as aluminum, Sobotka forecasts an increase in the cost of cobalt, saying that its 119 percent price surge through the course of 2021 emanates “a very loud and clear message: the market is severely short of the blue metal.”

“As we move into the New Year, there are no discernible signs of any fundamental easing, with prices remaining on an upward trajectory as consumers skirmish to secure sparsely available spot units – a situation that will undoubtedly persist throughout 2022 and beyond,” he added.