| Click on blue article title to read full story. | | | | Cobalt | | | | Yahoo Finance - February 23, 2018 of the world's cobalt is mined as a byproduct of some other metal mining. In 2017, about 69 percent of the world's cobalt was mined as a The proliferation of lithium-ion batteries, of which cobalt is a key ingredient, in electronics and electrified vehicles is the chief factor fueling this rise in price and concerns among companies over the security of their supplies…Some companies have responded to the jump by looking for ways to secure stocks for their own supply chains. Apple is reportedly trying to procure its cobalt directly from miners. Automakers such as BMW and Volkswagen have also reportedly been taking similar steps…Demand for cobalt in vehicle battery materials is expected to grow over 40 percent in 2018, according to U.K.-based cobalt trading firm Darton Commodities…"While production increases are expected to level off by around 2022, demand is expected to accelerate further as EVs will be close to reaching cost parity with [internal combustion engine] vehicles by this time," said Darton in its report…Access to CNBC video clip | | Financial Times - February 24, 2018 As Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors rolled out their electric cars for the mass market in 2010, Japanese manufacturers placed enthusiastic bets...... To capture the market for these vehicles, global carmakers from Volkswagen to Tesla are attempting to lock in supplies of raw materials that are needed to increase production of lithium ion batteries, which will power this electric revolution… “I think a lot of car manufacturers are almost panicking, in the sense they want to make sure they don’t miss out on the essential materials they need for the battery.”..Johan Van De Ven, of RWR Advisory, a Washington-based consultancy, said the Chinese auto industry was keen to avoid supply chain bottlenecks that could slow production of electric vehicles. ..“Establishing control over raw materials can provide the supply chain security that China needs to meet its ambitious EV targets, and may also allow it to scupper the progress of other players,” he says…China also dominates the supply chain for cobalt — the battery material of top concern for carmakers as more than half of the world’s supply comes from the unstable Democratic Republic of Congo, raising fears among carmakers over security of supply | | The Korea Herald - February 26, 2018 While rival nations are stepping up the hunt for key minerals, which are increasingly in demand in the ‘fourth industrial revolution,’... supplies of cobalt for iPhone batteries directly from miners as cobalt prices have skyrocketed as of late. “The leadership of the battery The key minerals coveted by tech-advanced countries include cobalt, lithium, tungsten, nickel and manganese, which are crucial for next-generation technologies, including electric cars, self-driving cars, energy storage systems, drones, robots and chips…“The government need to acquire at least the minimum level of key minerals required for the fourth industrial revolution,” said Kang Chun-goo, vice chairman of local accounting firm Young Jin Advisory Group and who worked for Korea Resources Corporation for more than 30 years..As to the battery, which holds the key in future technologies from cars, devices, appliances to wearables, Korea is currently in the lead but they may face critical challenges if they fail in the resource war, said Calvin Lee, an executive at SNE Research, a local research firm specializing in electric car batteries…On Wednesday last week, news reports revealed that iPhone maker Apple is in talks to buy long-term supplies of cobalt for iPhone batteries directly from miners as cobalt prices have skyrocketed as of late…“The leadership of the battery will depend on how much minerals a company has in the future…Still, securing resources stably is the overriding agenda in many advanced nations….Chinese companies’ cobalt refined products account for 77 percent of the total products in the global market and the figure is expected to rise to 90 percent soon, according to the UK-based research firm CRU Group…China‘s mining firm CMOC International acquired Congo’s mine for copper and cobalt from the US firm Freeport-McMoran in 2006. China Nonferrous Metal Mining and Congo‘s state-run mining firm are jointly developing a mine for cobalt and copper with a 51:49 joint venture | | Yicai Global - February 26, 2018 Pengxin Unit Secures 15-year Concentrate Deal in DRC to Meet Rising Demand in NEV Sector (Yicai Global) Feb. 26 -- A unit of Chinese... a mining firm in the Democratic Republic of Congo for copper and cobalt concentrates, used in the production of new energy vehicle batteries A unit of Chinese resources firm Pengxin International Mining Co. has secured a 15-year sales agreement with a mining firm in the Democratic Republic of Congo for copper and cobalt concentrates, used in the production of new energy vehicle batteries…The Shanghai-based firm’s Shituru Mining Corp. subsidiary will receive minimum annual supplies of 5,500 tons of copper and 1,500 tons of cobalt from Vicent Mining Corp. over the duration of the deal, the company said in a statement…Pengxin plans to sell the products to players in China’s fast-growing NEV sector. Global lithium-ion battery demand is expected to reach 500 gigawatt-hours by 2025, compared with 85 gigawatt-hours in 2016, said Benchmark Mineral Intelligence in a report at the end of last year. | | | | | EVs & Energy Storage | | | | Bloomberg - February 25, 2018 Self-made billionaire Li Shufu is biggest investor with 9.7% Geely’s global trophies contrast with troubles at HNA, Anbang The car industry is witnessing one of its biggest disruptions since Karl Benz assembled the first automobile more than a century ago, and Li Shufu wants to play an active part in the revolution. The car industry is witnessing one of its biggest disruptions since Karl Benz assembled the first automobile more than a century ago, and Li Shufu wants to play an active part in the revolution…The founder and chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. has become the top shareholder in Daimler AG, the German company that traces its roots to Benz, and inherits a storied legacy with inventions such as the world’s first diesel car. The 7.3 billion-euro ($9 billion) stake, disclosedon Friday and first reported by Bloomberg, represents the biggest investment by a Chinese company in an overseas automaker -- and one right in the nerve centers of the global automotive world…Electric vehicles is the new battle ground in China, where the government is actively pushing for the eradication of fossil-fuel powered automobiles by giving new incentives. China is already the world’s biggest market for electric vehicles, and a region Daimler has targeted for growth. | | South China Morning Post - February 26, 2018 Government has made manufacturers responsible for the collection and recycling of batteries amid mounting waste Related topics Electric cars Related Articles Enterprises Apple aims to lock up cobaltsupply deals for iPhone, iPad batteries 21 Feb China will make manufacturers of electric vehicles responsible for setting up facilities to collect and recycle spent batteries as part of its efforts to tackle mounting waste in the sector, say new rules published on Monday…But with lithium battery production already up by half in 2017 and waste set to hit as much as 170,000 tonnes this year, the government is racing to improve its recycling capabilities and stamp out what could become a growing source of pollution…China’s industry ministry issued “interim” rules on Monday that hold carmakers responsible for the recovery of new energy vehicle batteries and require them to set up recycling channels and service outlets where old batteries can be collected, stored and transferred to specialist recyclers. | | | | | Congo | | | | News24 - February 26, 2018 Kinshasa - One person was killed and over 20 were injured on Sunday as police fired live bullets and tear gas to disperse banned protests... disperse banned protests calling on Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila to stand down. The church-backed protests in One person was killed and over 20 were injured on Sunday as police fired live bullets and tear gas to disperse banned protests calling on Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila to stand down…There were fears the victim's body could be "disappeared" by the security forces, as has been the case in similar instances in DRC, with the authorities eager to contain the anger on the streets…Three priests were arrested as they led a march in the Saint Pierre de Wagenia district in the east of the city. Officers took them away in a police vehicle, the journalist said…Police used tear gas to crush protests elsewhere in the sprawling nation, including in Kikwit in the southwest, and Goma and Bukavu in the east…In DRC's second city Lubumbashi, youths set vehicle tyres on fire and were then dispersed by riot police…The nationwide protests were called by the Lay Coordination Committee (CLC), an organisation close to the church and an influential social and spiritual movement. But authorities banned the demonstrations…Internet access was cut across the country Sunday, with SMS and WhatsApp messaging services disabled as people took to the streets…Political tensions in DRC have been mounting since September 2016, when clashes between youths and security forces left dozens of people dead in Kinshasa…Fears have multiplied that the country, which experienced wars from 1996-97 and from 1998-2003, could explode into violence once more…The latest timetable to hold elections is for December 23 this year, two years later than scheduled…But Kabila has refused to state clearly whether he intends to stand again | | | | | | |