Can the Democratic Republic of the Congo produce lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials?

London and Kinshasa, November 24, 2021 – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) can leverage its abundant cobalt resources and hydroelectric power to become a low-cost and low-emissions producer of lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials.

Should lithium-ion batteries be expanded to DRC and Africa?

“As substantiated by the BloombergNEF report, the prospect of the expanding the value chain of development of lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles value chains to DRC and Africa is both financially and environmentally appealing,” commented Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).

How can Africa extend its access to the battery industry?

In so doing, the country and the rest of Africa can extend their access from the USD271 billion battery precursor segment to the more lucrative USD1.4 trillion combined battery cell production and cell assembly segments of the battery minerals global value chain.

Is DRC a good destination for sustainable battery manufacturing?

Study identifies DRC as a favorable destination for the manufacturing of sustainable battery materials used in high-nickel batteries

Could African countries play a major role in the lithium-ion battery supply chain?

African countries could play a major role in the lithium-ion battery supply chain by taking advantage of their abundant natural resources and onshoring more of the value chain.

Why is the DRC a cost competitive country?

“The DRC’s cost competitiveness comes from its relatively cheap access to land and low engineering, procurement and construction, or EPC, cost compared to the U.S., Poland and China,” said Kwasi Ampofo, lead author of the report and BNEF’s head of metals and mining.