Battery Metals - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

US Plans $500m Cobalt Procurement to Strengthen Defense Mineral Stockpiles

August 24, 2025August 24, 2025 Constance

US Targets $500m Cobalt Purchase for Defense Supply Chain Amid China’s Mineral Restrictions The United States is moving to secure its supply of critical minerals, with the Department of Defense (DoD) announcing plans to procure up to $500 million worth of cobalt for its defense stockpiles. The initiative comes as Washington intensifies efforts to reduce reliance on China’s near-total control of the critical minerals sector. China’s Export Restrictions Spark Urgency The global supply chain for rare earths and other strategic minerals has come under pressure following China’s recent export restrictions.… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Corporate News Lithium

AVZ Minerals Secures 10% Manono Stake After ICC Victory

August 18, 2025August 18, 2025 Constance

AVZ Minerals Triumphs in ICC Ruling, Strengthens Control of DRC’s Manono Lithium Project Australian mining company AVZ Minerals has won its arbitration case against Dathomir Mining Resources before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The ruling, issued on July 14, 2025, definitively confirms AVZ’s acquisition of a 10% stake in Dathcom Mining SA, owner of the world-class Manono lithium project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. AVZ’s subsidiary AVZI initiated the case before the ICC to confirm the legality of a 2020 Share Purchase Agreement (SPA). The tribunal ruled that:… Read More Here

Corporate News Battery Metals Lithium Mining in DRC

KoBold Metals to Acquire 17,000 Mining Concessions in DRC Lithium Push

August 18, 2025August 18, 2025 Constance

Backed by Gates and Bezos, KoBold Metals Targets DRC Lithium in $1B Exploration Deal KoBold Metals, a U.S.-based mining company backed by billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, is preparing to acquire nearly 17,000 mining concessions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of an ambitious large-scale exploration program. The company uses advanced artificial intelligence and data-driven technology to identify deposits of critical minerals used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. On July 17, 2025, KoBold signed an agreement in principle with the Congolese government in a ceremony attended… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals

US Sanctions Armed Group and Hong Kong Companies Linked to Congo’s Illicit Mineral Trade

August 14, 2025August 14, 2025 Constance

US Targets Armed Group and Hong Kong Firms Over Congo Conflict Minerals The United States has imposed sanctions on an armed group and two Hong Kong-based companies accused of involvement in violence and illegal mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Officials say the move is part of a broader effort to disrupt the flow of “conflict minerals” from the region. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced penalties against PARECO-FF, a successor to an armed group with a history of “destabilizing activities” in the DRC.… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt Economy

Glencore Warns of Cobalt Stockpile Build-Up Amid Prolonged DRC Export Ban

August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 Constance

Glencore May Be Unable to Sell Cobalt in 2025 Due to Congo Export Ban Glencore (LON: GLEN), the world’s second-largest cobalt producer, issued a warning on Wednesday that a substantial portion of its cobalt output may remain unsold by the end of 2025, citing ongoing export restrictions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC, which produces the majority of the world’s cobalt, imposed a four-month export ban in February 2025 after prices plunged to a nine-year low. In June, the Congolese government extended the ban by an additional… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt Economy

DRC Aims to Boost Local Cobalt Refining by Targeting Fairer Prices and Long-Term Market Stability

July 27, 2025July 27, 2025 Constance

Congo Eyes Cobalt Price Rebound to Drive Local Refining, Reduce China’s Dominance The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is pushing for a sustainable cobalt price to encourage domestic processing, as the government charts its course following a suspension of cobalt exports. The move, part of a broader strategy to stabilize global markets and attract local investment, comes amid shifting dynamics in the critical battery metal industry. Congo, responsible for nearly 75% of the world’s cobalt supply, first halted exports on February 22 for four months. In June, the government extended… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Corporate News New Mining Projects

KoBold Metals Files for Exploration Permits with CAMI in the DRC

July 27, 2025July 27, 2025 Constance

KoBold Metals Seeks Over $1 Billion Lithium Investment in DRC Amid Legal Dispute Over Manono Mine Benjamin Katabuka, CEO of KoBold Metals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officially submitted exploration permit applications to the DRC’s Mining Registry last Wednesday. Following the submission, Katabuka held a high-level meeting with Popol Mabolia Yenga, CEO of the Mining Cadastre. This development comes on the heels of a strategic agreement signed on July 17, 2025, between the Congolese government and KoBold Metals, an American start-up leveraging artificial intelligence to locate and extract critical… Read More Here

Mining in Zambia Battery Metals

Zambia Unveils First-Ever Critical Minerals Guide to Accelerate Green Economy Investment

July 24, 2025July 24, 2025 Constance

Zambia Launches Landmark Critical Minerals Guide to Attract Clean Energy Investment and Drive Global Green Transition Zambia has launched its first comprehensive guide to critical minerals, marking a significant milestone in the country’s strategy to become a key player in the global clean energy transition. The publication, titled Critical Minerals Potential of Zambia, highlights both existing and prospective mineral resources—such as cobalt, lithium, copper, graphite, and others—essential for decarbonising global energy systems. This landmark guide is the result of a collaborative effort between the Zambian Ministry of Mines and Minerals… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Corporate News Lithium

AVZ Minerals Accuses DRC of Breaching Arbitration Order in KoBold-Manono Lithium Deal

July 21, 2025July 21, 2025 Constance

AVZ Minerals Alleges DRC Breach of Arbitration in KoBold Lithium Agreement for Manono Project Australia-based AVZ Minerals, which holds a majority stake in the contested Manono lithium project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has accused the DRC government of violating an international arbitration order by signing a new development deal with US-backed KoBold Metals. On July 18, the DRC government announced an agreement with KoBold to jointly develop the southern section of the Manono lithium and tin deposit, one of the largest untapped sources of battery metals globally.… Read More Here

International Battery Metals Lithium

Zimbabwe’s Spodumene Exports Soar 30% in H1 2025 Despite Global Lithium Price Slump

July 21, 2025July 21, 2025 Constance

Zimbabwe Boosts Lithium Exports by 30% in First Half of 2025 Amid Global Price Decline Zimbabwe’s exports of spodumene concentrate—a key lithium-bearing mineral used in battery production—rose by 30% in the first half of 2025, defying the backdrop of falling global lithium prices, according to data from the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ). From January to June, the country exported 586,197 metric tons of spodumene concentrate, up from 451,824 metric tons during the same period in 2024, MMCZ figures shared with Reuters on Monday revealed. Despite a nearly 90%… Read More Here