Should Africa develop a lithium-ion battery plant?

Naicker says it is important to develop a local lithium-ion battery plant, as all lithium-ion batteries used in Africa are currently imported from mega-factories in the northern hemisphere. In fact, he believes there is an “arms-like race” to establish battery production in the northern hemisphere, but with no plans to do the same in Africa.

Where will megamillion's first lithium-ion battery production plant be located?

Megamillion aims to have the continent's "first lithium-ion battery production pilot" plant up and running in the second half of this year, says Megamillion Group CEO Nechan Naicker. The exact location is still to be decided, with Coega the current preferred site.

Who is funding a lithium-ion battery plant?

Funding for the $35-million pilot plant will flow from a mix of local and global private equity investors, with Naicker not yet willing to provide specifics. Lithium-ion batteries have been used in rechargeable products, such as cell phones and laptops, for a number of years already, and more recently in electric vehicles.

Will megamillion be Africa's first large-scale lithium-ion battery producer?

The Megamillion Energy Company intends to be Africa ’s first large-scale producer of lithium-ion batteries, with a mandate to make batteries “in Africa, for Africa ’s benefit first”.

How many jobs can be created in the lithium-ion battery value chain?

Naicker believes more than 3 000 new upstream and downstream jobs can be created in the lithium-ion battery value chain. Naicker says it is important to develop a local lithium-ion battery plant, as all lithium-ion batteries used in Africa are currently imported from mega-factories in the northern hemisphere.

How many GWh of batteries will China produce in 2028?

“Working with established battery technology pioneers from China, the plan is to ramp up to an annual production output of 32 GWh of cells by 2028, with the primary focus on cells for the energy storage market and, thereafter, for the electric vehicle market,” says Naicker.