DRC-Zambia-USA tripartite evaluates the Agreement on the Battery industry
After the INDABA Mining Forum in Cape Town, South Africa, the agreement on the battery industry was once again at the heart of discussions within the DRC-Zambia-USA tripartite, on Saturday April 15, 2023, in Washington, DC, United States.
Signed in December 2022, the memorandum of understanding is in line with the objective of the DRC and Zambia to set up a productive supply chain, from the mine to the assembly line, while committing to international standards to prevent, detect, and prosecute corruption throughout this process.
“We have been invited by the Biden administration. I, Julien Paluku Kahongya, the Congolese Minister of Industry, and my colleague from Finance, Nicolas Kazadi, were received this Saturday in Washington DC at the State Department by the Deputy US Secretary of State for the Economy, Energy, and the Environment, Mr. José W. Fernandez.
We were there to assess the collaboration agreement signed in Washington last December between the Congolese, Zambian, and US Governments for the development of a regional value chain around the battery and electric vehicle industry,” said Julien Paluku, the Congolese Minister of Industry.
In addition, Julien Paluku specified that this meeting precedes the launch of the pre-feasibility study for the installation of the first manufacturing plant planned in the province of Haut-Katanga.
According to Julien Paluku, this meeting was an opportunity for the American administration to reaffirm its firm determination to support the realization of this major project likely to boost several African economies.
However, it should be noted that the DRC produces more than 70% of the world’s cobalt.
Zambia is the world’s sixth-largest producer of copper and the second-largest producer of cobalt in Africa.
These resources brought together through this cooperation constitute essential elements of the energy transition that the world urgently needs.
It should be noted that the electric battery supply chain development plan will enable open and transparent investments to build a value-added and sustainable industry in Africa, serving a just energy transition for workers and local communities.
