A Battery Industry in the Central African Copperbelt? : Regional and Geopolitical Dimensions

Abstract

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia as important Africa copper and cobalt producers are embarking on plans for a regional battery value chain. They aim to transition their countries from being extractive sites to becoming industrial producers of batteries and battery precursors. In a context of increasing demand for battery minerals due to the green transition, their mineral commodities are of growing strategic importance to global supply of critical minerals and to national and regional plans for socioeconomic transformation. DRC and Zambia are thus mobilizing investment for a battery industry, concurrently attracting investment in mining in the Central African Copperbelt (CAC). Their plans emerge at a time of intense global trade competition and war in Europe, lending a geopolitical dimension to their efforts. Both countries once had dominant state mining enterprises, but now private mining investment predominates. Regional and local concerns regarding the benefits of mining as well as its governance unfold alongside geopolitics. These will influence how DRC and Zambia navigate their drive for a regional battery industry. The paper provides a contextual overview of DRC and Zambia’s plans and their mining sector. It highlights the partnerships they are building and concludes with recommendations to address the challenges and opportunities that will arise in their agenda to build a Central African Copperbelt battery industry.