Selenium is a flexible metallic element existing in several allotropic forms. Selenium is known as a photoconductive and photovoltaic substance. Its unique properties make selenium helpful in the making of photocells used to convert sunlight into electrical energy. On the whole, less than one-fifth of the selenium consumed annually is used in different electrical applications. Other important selenium applications include the production of glass, fertilizers as well as vitamin supplements.
Selenium is mainly produced as a by-product of nonferrous metal mining and processing, especially copper refining; it is considered to be the only affordable source of selenium. One fifth of the overall refined selenium production comes from recycling (mainly recycling of selenium-containing photo-receptors used in photo copies).
Selenium reserves are based in identified copper deposits. The US, Canada, the Philippines, Zambia, Belgium, Peru, Germany, Chile, Sweden, Finland and Japan are among the top countries producing selenium.
World structure of selenium reserves, 2012
In 2012, global selenium production registered 1.1% y-o-y growth and climbed to about 2,780 metric tons. Germany ranks as the world’s leading selenium producer, accounting for almost 24% of the overall production volume. It is followed by Japan, the USA, Belgium and Russia. In 2012, the combined production of the top 5 world selenium producers was estimated at around 2,270 metric tons of selenium content.
World mine selenium production structure by country, 2012
ASARCO LLC, Vale Inco Limited, Corporation Minera and Quimica S.A., Southern Copper Corp, Doe Run Peru, Umicore Precious Metals Refining, 5NPlus Lübeck GmbH, Aurubis AG, PPM Pure Metals GmbH, Boliden Odda A/S, OAO Uralelectromed, Apollo Solar Energy and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation are amid the leading companies involved in the world selenium market.
The selenium supply is highly dependent on the production of the principal product, from which it is derived. Global selenium production is poised to witness positive growth in the upcoming years, driven by the ever-booming world copper market. It is likely to reach 2,800 metric tons by 2015. The overall demand for the product in the glass industry is predicted to increase in the near future since there are few alternatives to selenium developed in this field. Meanwhile, the demand for selenium from solar cell production is anticipated to follow a downward trend in the forthcoming years.
More information on the selenium market can be found in the report “Selenium Market Review”.