Mining in DRC - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

DRC Urged to Define Strategic and Critical Minerals for Energy Transition 1

Resource Matters Calls on DRC to Establish Clear Framework for Strategic and Critical Minerals While many countries have developed clear strategies distinguishing between “strategic” and “critical” minerals, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has yet to define a comprehensive list of minerals requiring special attention in its energy transition strategy. This observation comes from the NGO Resource Matters in its December 2025 publication on the local development of minerals essential to the energy transition. Currently, only cobalt, coltan, and germanium are classified as “strategic minerals” in the DRC. According to… Read More Here

DRC Cobalt Prices Stall at $52,100 per Ton as Global Demand Outlook Remains Uncertain

January 7, 2026January 7, 2026 Constance

Cobalt Prices Stabilize After Rapid December Surge Amid Market Uncertainty After a period of rapid growth through December 22, 2025, cobalt prices have stabilized on the international market. Having climbed from USD 50,958 to over USD 52,000 per ton in just a few weeks, the price of this strategic mineral—of which the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the world’s leading producer—has now plateaued. Data for January 5–10, 2026, indicate cobalt export prices at USD 52,107 per ton, slightly below the previous week’s USD 52,111, reflecting a marginal decline. This… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Electricity

NGO Calls on DRC Govt to Ensure Mining Electricity Benefits Local Communities

January 7, 2026January 8, 2026 Constance

Resource Matters Urges DRC to Publish Mining-Linked Energy Concessions to Protect Communities To prevent mining companies in the lithium sector from monopolizing electricity solely for their operations at the expense of local communities, the NGO Resource Matters has urged the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government to make all concession contracts related to energy assets linked to mining publicly available. The recommendation appears in Resource Matters’ white paper, “From Raw Ore to Local Processing: Ways to Increase Added Value,” published in December 2025. The report highlights concerns over the opacity… Read More Here

Mining Personality Corporate News Mining in DRC News in Brief

Alphamin Resources Director Paul Baloyi Steps Down

January 7, 2026January 7, 2026 Constance

Alphamin Resources Director Resigns After Six Years on Board AltX- and TSX-V-listed Alphamin Resources has announced that Paul Baloyi will resign from the company’s board of directors, effective January 31, 2026. Baloyi has served on Alphamin’s board since April 2017 as a representative of the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa. In a statement released on January 5, the company expressed its appreciation: “The board of directors wishes to thank him for his contributions to Alphamin during his tenure.” Alphamin Resources owns and operates the Mpama North and South tin… Read More Here

Battery Metals Lithium Mining in DRC

Resource Matters Warns of Weak Lithium Permitting Oversight in the DRC

January 4, 2026January 4, 2026 Constance

Resource Matters Criticizes DRC Authorities Over Lack of Transparency in Lithium Mining Permits In a white paper published in December 2025 on value creation in strategic minerals such as copper, cobalt, and lithium, the NGO Resource Matters highlights significant shortcomings in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) lithium permitting process. The organization, which advocates for transparency and good governance in the extractive sector, points to a lack of rigor by Congolese authorities in granting exploitation permits for lithium, a critical mineral for the global energy transition. According to Resource Matters,… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Hydro power plant

DRC Opens Competitive Tender for 94.5-MW Nfuka Mukaji Hydropower Project

January 4, 2026January 4, 2026 Constance

DRC Launches Competitive Tender for 94.5-MW Privately Financed Nfuka Mukaji Hydropower Plant The Electricity Sector Regulatory Authority (ARE) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has launched a competitive tender for the development of a hydroelectric power project at the Nfuka Mukaji falls, located in Haut-Lomami province. The call for expressions of interest, published on December 24, 2025, relates to a 94.5-MW hydropower plant that will be financed by private investors. The tender process follows a concession application submitted by Umeme Energy Sarl. Upon review, the ARE determined that the… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals

Vingroup Advances Green Mobility Project in Kinshasa with VinFast EV Initiative

January 3, 2026January 4, 2026 Constance

Vingroup Plans 120,000 Electric Vehicles in Kinshasa, Launching Sustainable Urban Transport Ecosystem Vietnam’s Vingroup has provided new details on its planned green mobility project in Kinshasa, following a preliminary agreement signed with the city in October 2025. In a statement on December 29, Vingroup said it signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding on December 24 with Kinshasa’s Provincial Ministry of Transport and Urban Mobility and Congolese company Exposure Sarl. The memorandum establishes a framework for cooperation to develop a modern, sustainable, and accessible urban transport system. Through its electric vehicle… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt

DRC Extends Cobalt Export Quotas to March 2026 Amid Logistical Challenges

January 3, 2026January 3, 2026 Constance

DRC Extends Cobalt Export Quotas to Support Producers After 2025 Export Delays The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has extended the validity of cobalt export quotas for the last quarter of 2025 until March 31, 2026. The announcement was made by the Congolese regulator in a press release dated December 28, 2025. The extension comes in response to difficulties experienced by producers during the resumption of exports following the February 2025 embargo on cobalt, a strategic metal for the electric vehicle battery industry. Although the ban was… Read More Here

Copper Corporate News Mining in DRC

Ivanhoe Mines Announces First Anode Production from Kamoa-Kakula Copper Smelter

January 2, 2026January 2, 2026 Constance

Kamoa-Kakula Produces First Copper Anodes as Africa’s Largest Smelter Enters Ramp-Up Phase Ivanhoe Mines Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland and President and Chief Executive Officer Marna Cloete have announced the successful production of the first copper anodes at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The milestone was achieved on December 29, 2025, at the company’s on-site, state-of-the-art direct-to-blister copper smelter, following the start of furnace heat-up and the initial feeding of copper concentrate. Commenting on the achievement, Ivanhoe Mines Founder and Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland described… Read More Here