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AVZ Minerals joins DRC Battery Council, pledges to develop sustainable battery value chain in Africa

Last updated: 00:01 26 Nov 2021 GMT, First published: 23:43 25 Nov 2021 GMT

AVZ Minerals joins DRC Battery Council, pledges to develop sustainable battery value chain in Africa
Serge Ngandu (closest to camera), corporate affairs director for AVZ's subsidiary Dathcom Mining, participating in a panel discussion at the 2021 DRC-Africa Business Forum.

AVZ Minerals Ltd (ASX:AVZ) has joined the Democratic Republic of Congo Battery Council, joining heads of state and captains of industry in pledging to create a locally sourced, sustainable battery mineral supply chain in the DRC and wider Africa.

Hosted by the DRC Government in Kinshasa over the last two days, the DRC-Africa Business Forum was led by its Ministry of Industry and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), African Development Bank (ADB), Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) and the United Nations Global Compact.

One of the key objectives of the forum was to foster the development of a battery, electric vehicle and renewable energy industrial value chain and market in Africa.

Pivotal to clean energy transition

AVZ Minerals managing director Nigel Ferguson said: “The signing of this pledge provides a strong platform for the development of a battery minerals industry in the DRC, which AVZ wholeheartedly supports, and is also an incredibly significant development as we enter the final stages of securing the Mining Licence and permits for the Manono Project.”

“The DRC and Africa are strategically positioned to play a pivotal role in the global transition to clean energy and decarbonisation and the Manono Project will greatly assist to improve the fortunes of the Congolese people, which AVZ Minerals is very supportive.

“We are excited to be the only aspiring mining company that has been invited to join the newly formed DRC Battery Council which will be presided over by the President of the DRC and the executive secretary for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, along with a myriad of other significant organisations.”

The DRC Government’s expected outcomes for the forum included:

  • Identification of business opportunities to build regional value chains in the battery, electric vehicle and renewable energy sub-sectors within the DRC and other battery minerals producing countries in Africa;
  • Clear enabling government policies for project developer and financiers including (i) the creation of a DRC Battery Council; (ii) a commitment to invest and build a battery minerals industry in the DRC; and
  • Articulated government support to facilitate investments in battery, electric vehicles and renewable energy value chains in the DRC and in Africa in general.

DRC-Africa Business Forum outcomes

AVZ corporate affairs director for subsidiary Dathcom Mining, Serge Ngandu, presented AVZ’s flagship Manono Lithium and Tin Project to delegates attending the first day of the DRC-Africa Business Forum.

He also participated in a panel discussion with dignitaries from the DRC and other African nations, including Heads of State and Captains of Industry.

The Presidential discussion, which was led by His Excellency Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the DRC, provided government leaders with a platform to demonstrate their commitment to and rationale for investing in the battery minerals industry in Africa and within the DRC.

Immediately following the Presidential discussion, the Congolese Government as well as the technical and financial partners such as CEA, AFC and BADEA signed commitments for the development of a battery minerals industry in the DRC.

AVZ’s wholly-owned subsidiary AVZ International Pty Ltd was invited to execute this agreement, which was undertaken by Balthazar Tshiseke, the deputy general manager and director of Dathcom.

DRC Battery Council

The DRC Battery Council will consist of a public-private partnership seeking to support the DRC Government in ensuring the outcomes and roadmap agreed upon at the DRC-Africa Business forum are implemented.

The council aims to create a battery value chain in the DRC and Africa that is transformative, sustainable, innovative, socially and environmentally responsible and economically viable.

Vision

The Democratic Republic of Congo is at the heart of Africa’s efforts toward a competitive battery value chain that prioritises sustainable development and inclusive growth.

Mission

DBC’s mission is to:

  • Leverage partnerships to attract and promote investment and innovation and technology for the transformation of Africa’s strategic minerals;
  • Accelerate intra-African trade, skills building and research to unlock innovation along the battery value chain leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA);
  • Collaborate to promote extensive partnerships and far-reaching exchanges of innovative ideas to ensure that the battery value chain is sustainable and accrues value to the local economy;
  • Catalyse, fast-track and scale up action towards the vision; and,
  • Facilitate the generation of evidence-based studies, data, information on the battery value chain in the DRC and Africa.

Strategic objectives

The DBC has three strategic objectives in pursuing its vision and delivering on its purpose:

  1. Support value creation of strategic minerals in Africa and strengthen productive capabilities in the battery value chain, to generate job creation on the continent via the battery value chain;
  2. Ensure a socially, environmentally responsible and sustainable battery value chain, which improves the lives of women and the youth; and
  3. Encourage local and African champions to invest in the battery industry.

Membership and composition of the DBC:

Steering Committee: President of DRC and Executive Secretary of the ECA and prominent businesspeople

Members: Afreximbank, AFC, AfDB, BADEA, ALSF, UN Global Compact, selected NGOs

Public: DRC Ministers of Industry, Mines, Economy, Environment, Science and Technology

Private: Chairman of the Board of Gecamines; AVZ; Federation des Enterprises du Congo (FEC); African Association of Automotive Manufacturers; Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund; Bosch

Academia: Steinbeis University- Berlin; University of Lubumbashi (Polytechnic); University of Zambia (UNZA); University of the Witwatersrand (SA); University of Mines and Technology (Ghana)

About AVZ Minerals

AVZ Minerals is a mineral exploration company focused on the development of Manono Lithium and Tin Project in the DRC in central Africa.

It is striving to be a near ‘zero-emissions' operation with an independent greenhouse gas assessment confirming the Manono Project could have one of the lowest carbon footprints of any global hard rock lithium mines.

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