The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is rich in natural resources, and according to the WorldBank, the DRC supplied about 70% of global cobalt output in recent years. Furthermore, a report from the International Monetary Fund states that the DRC accounts for over 70% of global cobalt output and roughly half of the world’s proven reserves.

Cobalt is a critical component in green technologies, particularly in fueling the EV revolution, and according to reports, the global demand for cobalt is expected to surge to over 200,000 mt per year by 2025.

In the DRC, cobalt is predominantly recovered as a by-product of copper and #nickel production, notably in the southern Copperbelt region.

This extraordinary concentration of cobalt supply gives the region outsized importance in the global battery-metals value chain, especially as demand for cobalt rises with the electrification of transport and energy storage.

As demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage continues to accelerate, cobalt from the African Copperbelt plays a vital role in powering lithium-ion batteries that drive sustainable innovation worldwide. This remarkable concentration of resources has made the region a cornerstone in the future of clean energy and advanced technologies.