Congo creates strategic cobalt reserve to influence supply and prices, regulator says

On October 27, CATL responded to investor questions on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange's Hudongyi platform regarding the progress of its Hefei sulphide solid-state pilot base, stating that the company continues to make firm investments in all-solid-state batteries, its technology is at an industry-leading level, and small-batch production is expected to be achieved in 2027. This statement is consistent with the pace previously disclosed by the company: small-scale trial production will begin in 2027, with large-scale mass production expected around 2030.

According to Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) on October 27, preferred engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors have been selected for the approximately 830-km Zambia–Lobito Railway Project following an international tender process. The consortium of Webuild, Mota-Engil and IC İçtaş was selected for the Zambian section, while Mota-Engil and Odebrecht were selected for the Angolan section. Contract negotiations are scheduled to begin in November 2026, with EPC agreements targeted for completion within 8–12 weeks. The railway will connect Zambia's Copperbelt with Angola's existing Benguela Railway and the Atlantic port of Lobito. The Zambian section spans approximately 517 km. Once completed, the project is expected to reduce transit times for goods from the Copperbelt to international markets from around 16 days to 7 days. The Lobito Corridor is a strategic export route for copper and cobalt from the DRC and Zambia. The latest milestone moves the railway closer to implementation and could eventually lower transportation costs, improve logistics efficiency and diversify export routes for African copper-cobalt resources. Definitive EPC contracts have yet to be signed.

According to local DRC media reports on October 26, Mining Minister Louis Watum Kabamba oversaw the reopening of the Musompo mineral trading center in Kolwezi, Lualaba Province, as part of efforts to strengthen the regulation of artisanal copper-cobalt procurement and trading. The facility, inaugurated in 2023 but largely inactive since then, has resumed weighing, sampling and mineral analysis activities, including services provided by the Centre for Evaluation, Expertise and Certification (CEEC). The first mineral transport truck has already been weighed. Musompo has a designed handling capacity of 250 trucks per day, although technical issues remain and operations have not yet reached full capacity. The reopening follows protests by artisanal miners on October 19–20 over regulatory inspections and restricted mineral sales channels. Restoring the center could improve transparency, traceability and market access for artisanal copper-cobalt production. However, operations are still being gradually restored, and actual cobalt trading volumes have not been disclosed.