EGC, EVelution Energy and Trafigura Sign MoU to Secure Congolese Cobalt Supply Chain to the US
Trafigura, EGC and EVelution Energy agree cobalt supply deal to boost US battery and defense material supply chain
Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC), EVelution Energy, and commodity trader Trafigura have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a long-term supply framework for Congolese cobalt hydroxide exports to the United States.
Under the proposed arrangement, and subject to definitive agreements, the partnership is expected to support EVelution Energy in supplying up to around 40% of projected US cobalt demand, according to Trafigura.
The cobalt hydroxide would be sourced by EGC under its state mandate in the Democratic Republic of Congo and exported for refining in the United States.
EVelution Energy plans to process the material at its Arizona facility, converting it into battery-grade cobalt sulfate and/or alloy-grade cobalt metal.
The output is intended for use in the US aerospace, defence, and electric vehicle battery industries.
The agreement reflects growing efforts to secure critical mineral supply chains, particularly cobalt, which is essential for high-performance batteries and strategic industrial applications.
Separately, in December 2025, a US development finance institution announced plans to take an equity stake in a new partnership aimed at commercialising Congolese mineral exports.
The initiative could give US end-users preferential access to copper and cobalt supplies under a potential right-of-first-refusal framework.
