As of Friday, the silver price was up by around 30% so far in 2024, versus gold’s 18% rise.
Sitting at around US$29 an ounce, silver is still a long way off the record highs of close to US$50/oz reached in 1980 and again in 2011.
But unlike gold, demand for silver is surging due to its growing industrial use.
Earlier this month, Baker Steel Capital Managers described silver as the potential “unsung hero” of the energy transition.
“Silver faces one of the most significant structural demand trends as a result of the clean energy transition, yet the magnitude of the long-term market imbalance remains under-appreciated,” it said.
The reason for this is silver’s use in solar photovoltaic cells. Each solar panel can contain up to 20g of silver.
While total silver demand dropped 7% to 1.19 billion ounces last year, industrial demand grew by 20% to a record high of 445.1 million ounces, according to The Silver Institute. Use in PVs surged by 64% to a record 193.5Moz.
“This is a large increase, yet it is the exponential growth facing the solar energy sector which gives a glimpse into the incredible demand dynamic underway for silver,” Baker Steel said.
The Silver Institute is forecasting a 2% increase in total silver demand this year, driven by a 9% increase in industrial demand to a new record high.
It expects silver supply to decline by 1%, leading to a projected deficit of 215.3Moz, the second largest in history.
Baker Steel is forecasting solar PV demand to account for 23% of silver demand this year, increasing to 29% by 2030.
Its analysts expect the boom in solar demand could lead to massive deficits of 1.4-1.6Boz by 2030.
Analysts are increasingly bullish on silver.
Citi has forecast the price to reach US$38/oz in the next 6-12 months.
Canaccord Genuity recently raised its 2025 silver price forecast by nearly 20% to US$31.60/oz, while Macquarie lifted its forecast by 12% to US$32/oz.
Many ASX investors have steered clear of silver plays after being scarred by several failures earlier this century (anyone remember Macmin Silver?).
However, there is a fresh crop of developers aiming to capitalise on surging demand.
Adriatic Metals (ASX:ADT) recently started production at its Vares mine in Bosnia & Herzegovina, while Manuka Resources (ASX:MKR) is aiming to restart the Wonawinta mine in New South Wales next year.
Investigator Resources (ASX:IVR) and Silver Mines (ASX:SVL) are undertaking definitive feasibility studies on the Paris project in South Australia and Bowdens project in NSW, respectively, with the latter securing $30.2 million in convertible debenture funding from an investment fund backed by Rick Rule and Harry Lundin last week.
Eric Sprott-backed Unico Silver (ASX:USL) and Steve Parsons-backed Andean Silver (ASX:ASL) have large resources in South America.
The newest silver explorer on the ASX is Sun Silver (ASX:SS1), which listed in mid-May following an oversubscribed $13 million initial public offering at 20c per share. Its shares have since traded as high as 75c and are currently sitting at just below 50c.
The company owns the Maverick Springs silver-gold project on Nevada’s Carlin Trend, which has a resource of 292Moz of silver equivalent at 72.4 grams per tonne AgEq.
It makes Maverick Springs the largest early-stage silver development project on the ASX or TSX.
That resource was estimated using metal prices of US$21.50/oz silver and US$1850/oz gold – substantially below today’s levels.
There’s also substantial mineralisation outside the constrained pit shell and the deposit is open along strike and at depth.
Earlier this month, the company kicked off a 7500m drilling program, the first work on the project in 15 years.
About 60,000m, or 200 holes, have been historically drilled at Maverick Springs but drilling to date has only covered 20% of the project area.
As well as infill drilling, the current program will target high-grade zones to the north-west of the resource boundary.
The first results are due in the coming weeks.
