Congo rechargeable lithium battery pack

Can the Democratic Republic of the Congo produce lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials?

London and Kinshasa, November 24, 2021 – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) can leverage its abundant cobalt resources and hydroelectric power to become a low-cost and low-emissions producer of lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials.

Should lithium-ion batteries be expanded to DRC and Africa?

“As substantiated by the BloombergNEF report, the prospect of the expanding the value chain of development of lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles value chains to DRC and Africa is both financially and environmentally appealing,” commented Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).

Are lithium-ion batteries linked to child labour in the DRC?

An Amnesty International investigation in 2016 revealed that lithium-ion batteries could be linked to child labor in the DRC. The country, which has a long history of foreign exploitation of its natural resources, is now a hot spot for foreign companies to extract high-value and abundant minerals.

Is DRC a good destination for sustainable battery manufacturing?

Study identifies DRC as a favorable destination for the manufacturing of sustainable battery materials used in high-nickel batteries

Could African countries play a major role in the lithium-ion battery supply chain?

African countries could play a major role in the lithium-ion battery supply chain by taking advantage of their abundant natural resources and onshoring more of the value chain.

Does the DRC have a 'clean' cobalt supply chain?

Kara, a fellow at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health and at the Kennedy School, has been researching modern-day slavery, human trafficking and child labor for two decades. He says that although the DRC has more cobalt reserves than the rest of the planet combined, there's no such thing as a "clean" supply chain of cobalt from the country.