Battery Metals - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

Attendees at 2023 Mining Indaba share Zambia’s progress since 2022

February 19, 2023February 19, 2023 Constance

It’s been eight months since Zambia used its moment in the limelight at the 2022 Investing in African Mining Indaba to deliver the message that President Hichilema’s Administration would be prioritizing policy stability and predictability in the mining sector, the country’s biggest foreign exchange earner. Now, with the 2023 Mining Indaba behind us, Mining For Zambia reflects on the impression of unity that Africa’s second largest copper producer created for the investors, political leaders, commodity traders, and companies across the mining value chain who gathered at last week’s event. Ministries, parastatals, the Zambia Chamber… Read More Here

Cobalt Battery Metals International

Has Cobalt’s Battery-Powered Boom Turned to Bust?

February 17, 2023February 20, 2023 Constance

A blistering rally in the cobalt market is turning into a rout, putting pressure on miners and offering tentative cost relief for carmakers after a surge in battery metal prices last year. Cobalt rallied sharply early in 2022 as demand for electric vehicles surged. But while automotive usage is still rising, there’s been a sharp drop-off in buying from another key sector — Chinese electronics — and cobalt prices have crashed more than 50% since a peak in May. Pound for pound, the batteries used in laptops, phones and tablets… Read More Here

Battery Metals International Lithium

Global demand for lithium batteries to leap five-fold by 2030 – Li-Bridge

February 15, 2023February 15, 2023 Constance

Global demand for lithium batteries is expected to surge more than five-fold by 2030, public-private alliance Li-Bridge said on Wednesday, as more people opt for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Demand for lithium batteries in the United States is expected to grow more than six times and translate into $55 billion per year by the end of the decade, but still the country is expected to depend on imports for supply, the report add Li-Bridge works toward accelerating the development of a robust supply chain for lithium-based batteries and… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals News in Brief

DRC Exports 2,220 Tons of Tantalum Concentrates Worth $79M in 2022

February 14, 2023February 14, 2023 Constance

The Democratic Republic of Congo exported during the year 2022 a volume of 2,220 tons of tantalum concentrates representing a value of 79.1 million USD, according to data from the Ministry of Mines. Almost half of the tantalum exported by the DRC comes from the province of North Kivu, i.e. 1080 tons exported for a market value of 58 million USD. The other provinces that contribute to tantalum exports in the DRC are South Kivu for 415 tons; the Maniema for 10 tons; and the former Katanga with 713 tons. Tantalum is… Read More Here

Battery Metals International

Ford plans to Build EV Battery plant in Michigan with Chinese partner

February 13, 2023February 13, 2023 Constance

Ford Motor Co. and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. plan to build a battery plant in Michigan, according to people familiar with the matter, capping a months-long search that became mired in geopolitical tensions between the US and China. The multibillion-dollar facility, to be located about 100 miles west of Detroit, is expected to create about 2,500 jobs, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t yet public. The agreement could be announced as soon as next week, they said. Ford is moving ahead with… Read More Here

Battery Metals International

Commodity Trader Trafigura Loses $577M in Nickel Fraud Scandal

February 10, 2023February 10, 2023 Constance

Commodity trader Trafigura Group is facing more than half a billion dollars in losses after discovering metal cargoes it bought didn’t contain the nickel they were supposed to. Trafigura has spent the past two months uncovering what it believes is a systematic fraud against it. It has started legal action against Indian businessman Prateek Gupta and several companies connected to him including TMT Metals and subsidiaries of UD Trading Group, Trafigura said in a statement. The missing nickel is a blow for the company that has grown rapidly in the past decade… Read More Here

Battery Metals Cobalt Mining in DRC

Artisanal Cobalt Mines Vital to Global Production

February 9, 2023February 9, 2023 Constance

Cobalt buyers must push for reforms to regulate the operations of artisanal mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as they are crucial in meeting the growing demand for the metal used in electric vehicles and consumer electronics, according to a new report. A paper published by the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights and the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights stated that cobalt buyers face a challenge when trying to differentiate between the production from industrial mines and the significant output from artisanal small-scale mining… Read More Here

Battery Metals International

Africa gears up to keep more of the Profits from Lithium boom

February 9, 2023February 9, 2023 Constance

Lithium-rich African countries, including Zimbabwe and Namibia, are trying to develop processing and refining industries to capture more of the profits of global demand for battery material. As the auto industry shifts towards electric vehicles (EVs) – spurred by proposed bans on fossil-fuel cars beginning at the end of the decade – lithium prices and demand have soared. China, the world’s top lithium refiner, and a leading producer dominates the supply chain, but Western governments and international companies are trying to challenge that and see Africa’s lithium reserves as an… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Copper Gold

Cobalt, zinc, tin and Gold prices up this Week

February 8, 2023February 8, 2023 Constance

The main mining products exported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in particular cobalt, zinc, tin and gold, should register a slight price increase on the international market for the period from February 6 to 11, 2023. C This is what the National Commission for Mercurial Prices of the Ministry of Foreign Trade indicates in its weekly report on the evolution of the prices of mining and agricultural products and forest menus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to this structure, cobalt should be trading this week… Read More Here

International Battery Metals Cobalt

Indonesia Emerges as the Top Cobalt Producer Outside of Africa

February 8, 2023February 8, 2023 Constance

Indonesia has emerged as a significant player in the global cobalt production, becoming the second-largest producer of the battery material. According to US government data, Indonesia surpassed other countries such as Russia and Australia to secure the second spot in 2022. This expansion is expected to continue this decade, reducing the world’s dependence on the Democratic Republic of Congo for over two-thirds of cobalt supplies and avoiding potential shortages. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has been promoting the country’s battery and EV industries, leveraging its abundant mineral resources. The country already… Read More Here