Cobalt - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

ERG suspends Zambia refinery on shortage of cobalt, copper concentrates

January 24, 2020January 24, 2020 arnbethnic

Eurasia Resources Group’s (ERG) Africa unit said on Thursday it will suspend operations at Chambishi Metals in Zambia due to a shortage of copper and cobalt concentrates required to produce cathode. Chambishi plant. Image by Eurasian Resources. Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, has introduced a 5% import tax on raw materials which has hobbled the flow of concentrates from mines in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. “It was not possible to locate appropriate feedstock in Zambia. We are in the process of placing the plant on care and maintenance,” ERG… Read More Here

Cobalt Mining in DRC

After dismal 2019, could Tesla-Glencore deal spark cobalt price turnaround?

January 16, 2020 arnbethnic

Annual cobalt production is only around 130,000 tonnes, mostly as a byproduct of nickel and copper mining. Some two-thirds of supply comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where fears about political instability and the challenges of ethical sourcing combine to supercharge supply concerns. Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Tesla is in talks to buy cobalt from Glencore for its third gigafactory, recently opened in Shanghai, according to people familiar with the matter. Tesla, alongside Google, Apple and others, were sued by a human rights group in December about artisanal cobalt mining… Read More Here

Cobalt Copper Mining in DRC

Congo opens Chinese-owned Deziwa copper and cobalt mine

January 16, 2020January 16, 2020 arnbethnic

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s state mining company Gécamines on Wednesday opened the Deziwa copper and cobalt mine and processing plant, part of a joint venture majority-owned by China Nonferrous Metal Mining Company (CNMC). The Deziwa deposit, around 35 kilometres east of Kolwezi, is estimated to hold 4.6 million tonnes of copper and 420,000 tonnes of cobalt. Somidez, the joint venture controlling it, is held 51% by CNMC and 49% by Gécamines. THE DEZIWA MINE IS THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF THE CLOSE INVESTMENT TIES CHINA HAS FORGED WITH CONGO An… Read More Here

Cobalt Mining in DRC

Tesla in Talks to Buy Glencore’s Cobalt

January 16, 2020 arnbethnic

Tesla is reportedly in talks with mining giant Glencore to secure a supply of cobalt, a controversial mineral used to produce Li-ion batteries used in most electric vehicles today Cobalt is a controversial mineral due to most of it coming from mining operations in Congo, a place that has historically been affected by conflict and corruption, which has resulted in child labor in some mining operations. Most tech and auto companies using cobalt have taken steps to avoid sourcing from those operations, but it’s a hard thing to track since… Read More Here