Selenium
A copper-refining by-product used in glass, metallurgy, solar cells (CIGS) and electronics.
Supporting role in photovoltaics and some electronic components.
Where it's produced
Share of 2025 world refinery production (metric tons). Source: USGS MCS 2026.
Who calls it critical
Membership on each government list. “Strategic” marks a higher tier where the list has one; “group” means included as part of a group such as rare earths or PGMs.
Selenium: key questions
- Where is selenium mined or produced?
- According to USGS 2025 data, the largest producers are China (53%), Japan (17%) and Russia (8.4%) of world refinery production.
- Is selenium a critical mineral?
- Selenium appears on 3 of the 10 official lists we track (South Korea, India, Australia).
- Is selenium in short supply?
- Our supply status: Adequate. null
- Why does selenium matter for AI infrastructure?
- Supporting role in photovoltaics and some electronic components.
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