| Click on blue article title to read full story. | | | | Cobalt | | | | Metal Bulletin - February 5, 2018 Cobalt prices continued their steady ascent last week, while opportunities to pick up more cheaply-priced units ran thin. But slower spot activity ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday and buyers’ reluctance to overstock at high prices served to limit the pace of the rally, | | Argus Media - February 5, 2018 Africa's cobalt to benefit from EV boom Cape Town, 5 February (Argus) — Africa's dominant position in the global supply of cobalt will make...... he said. Between 20pc and 25pc of cobaltoutput in the DRC comes from artisanalmining, some of which is good mining, some of which is bad, Around 65pc of the world's cobalt supply comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This is expected to rise to 70pc over the next five years as more projects come on stream, Tony Southgate of Eurasian Resources Group said…We could have sold our output at Kolwezi three times over. That's how strong the interest is from battery makers and automotive companies," he said…Cobalt is a by-product of copper output in the DRC with 1t of cobalt being produced in association with 10-12t of copper. Electric vehicles are expected to have 27pc more copper in them than internal combustion engine vehicles, Southgate said…Outside of the DRC, cobalt is usually a by-product of nickel with 1t of cobalt being produced in association with 30-40t of nickel…"It is difficult to overstate how critical cobalt is in the electric vehicle and energy storage market and how critical cobalt is to the global supply of cobalt," he said…"Electric vehicles and energy storage are at the beginning of a super cycle that is being driven by demand and changing behaviour. We are seeing significant structural change in the energy storage and automotive industries," Anthony Milewski, chairman of Cobalt27 Capital said…A major factor in the underlying strength of cobalt prices and demand is that auto-makers need to be guaranteed of raw material supply for six or seven years when launching a new model…"Battery makers are saying that they can make the batteries for electric vehicles, but they are also saying that they cannot be guaranteed of sufficient supply of cobalt and lithium to meet auto-makers' need," another panellist said. | | | | | EVs & Energy Storage | | | | Corporate Knights - February 6, 2018 Clean energy’s explosive growth is good news for the global quest to confront climate change, but its geopolitical effects might not be uniformly beneficial. This should come as no surprise. Fossil fuels Clean energy’s explosive growth is good news for the global quest to confront climate change, but its geopolitical effects might not be uniformly beneficial. This should come as no surprise. Fossil fuels have driven not only global economic growth, but also global conflict. For decades, the United States has waged wars and built international institutions to keep a thumb on the scales…As they replace fossil fuels, leading clean energy technologies – wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear energy – as well as emerging ones, such as electric vehicles and batteries, will reorganize power balances between energy producers and consumers and shift U.S. diplomatic interests | | AusIMM Bulletin - February 5, 2018 Examining the emerging landscape of renewables and how the Australian resources industry is set to transition towards sustainability the argument of a new mining boom. Companies in the CleanTech Index include lithium, cobalt and graphite explorers and miners. Conclusion A new report from the IEA, titled Renewable Energy for Industry, finds that the business case for substituting grid electricity with self-generated renewable power for major industrial energy users is proving more and more palatable. The report notes that in Australia ‘the cost of hydro, solar and wind power can fall below $US30/MWh ($A39/MWh) and supply an electricity load with high load factors, particularly when combined.’ The cost of solar has plunged 90 per cent in the last five years, and the cost of battery storage is following a similar trajectory. The cost of grid power, on the other hand, has more than doubled…Figures from China’s National Bureau of Statistics revealed a 4.7 per cent fall in coal consumption in 2016. The country has also embarked on a A$474 billion renewable energy program. Similarly, India is now starting to turn to renewables as the costs drop significantly | | Business Insider - February 5, 2018 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a plan to develop 2.4 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030. If realized, the plan could... Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a plan earlier this month to develop $6 billion of offshore wind projects off the southern coast of Long Island by 2028 Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a plan earlier this month to develop $6 billion of offshore wind projects off the southern coast of Long Island by 2028 and predicted that the industry would bring 5,000 jobs to the state. The plan calls for developing 2.4 gigawatts — enough to power 1.2 million homes — by 2030…It's all part of New York's Clean Energy Standard, which requires 50% of the state's electricity come from renewable sources like solar and wind. | | | | | Congo | | | | Bloomberg - February 5, 2018 The Democratic Republic of Congo will seek greater control of the global cobalt market by engaging directly with car and battery... CMOC but not the Congo or Gecamines," Yuma said. "We legitimately want to control the cobalt market because it is ours." Congoaccounts for The Democratic Republic of Congo will seek greater control of the global cobalt market by engaging directly with car and battery manufacturers, according to its largest state-owned mining company...The market seems to think that "the future of cobalt is in the hands of Glencore, Trafigura and CMOC but not the Congo or Gecamines," Yuma said. "We legitimately want to control the cobalt market because it is ours." | | Reuters US News - February 5, 2018 * Gecamines wants renegotiations to start in second quarter * Congo is Africa’s biggest miner of cobalt, copper * Foreign investors raise...... in second quarter * Congo is Africa’s biggest miner of cobalt, copper * Foreign investors raise concern about new mining law (Updates with Democratic Republic of Congo’s state mining company Gecamines said on Monday it wanted to start renegotiating contracts with its international partners to secure a bigger share of revenues and would seek international arbitration if they refused…In his speech to the conference, Yuma said existing deals did not give Gecamines or the state “a sufficient share” of the nation’s mineral wealth… “We therefore call for a rethink of our past partnerships to enable them to achieve the only purpose for which they were signed: to provide benefits for the state and Gecamines.”…Since its heyday in the mid-1980s, Gecamines has sold most of its assets and entered joint ventures with foreign partners, which include 12 joint ventures and five mine leasing contracts…The U.S.-based Carter Center said in a report in November that Gecamines failed to internally register $750 million in income between 2011 and 2014, and that much of this was now untraceable. Gecamines denied the charge. | | The East African - February 5, 2018 In Summary The clashes erupted on Friday in the eastern province of Ituri, between the Hema and Lendu ethnic groups, resulting in at least...... . Related Content UN pushes DRC to investigate crackdown on protesters DR Congo opposition now wants interim govt before elections Congo's The clashes erupted on Friday in the eastern province of Ituri, between the Hema and Lendu ethnic groups, resulting in at least 23… “We are approaching the elections and there are hotbeds of tension all over the country, Kasai, in the Kivus and now there is renewed violence in Ituri. We must remain on our guard,” said opposition MP Juvenal Munubo…Ituri has remained a “breeding ground for violence, because there has been no real reconciliation between Lendu and Hema,” he added. | | | | |