Military-backed intruders occupy huge cobalt deposit in Congo

Published: May 19, 2026 19:05
The Metalkol project in Kolwezi, owned by Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), holds over 100 million tonnes of tailings and is one of the world’s key sources of cobalt supply. Recently, however, a local cooperative known as Hosanna has entered the concession under the protection of Congolese soldiers, extracting tailings on a large scale and transporting them to nearby Chinese-owned refineries. ERG considers this an illegal encroachment, which could potentially shorten the project’s lifespan from around nine years to three years, resulting in more than $10 billion in lost revenue. However, both the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Mines in the DRC have stated that no formal authorization has been granted, and government authorities are currently stepping in to mediate the situation.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn
For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn
Related News
May Battery Materials Import and Export Data Released, Lithium Carbonate Imports Continue YoY Increase, How About Other Segments? [SMM Special]
1 hour ago
May Battery Materials Import and Export Data Released, Lithium Carbonate Imports Continue YoY Increase, How About Other Segments? [SMM Special]
Read More
May Battery Materials Import and Export Data Released, Lithium Carbonate Imports Continue YoY Increase, How About Other Segments? [SMM Special]
May Battery Materials Import and Export Data Released, Lithium Carbonate Imports Continue YoY Increase, How About Other Segments? [SMM Special]
1 hour ago
[Lithium Battery: Cangzhou Mingzhu's Total Annual 700 Million m² Lithium Battery Separator Project Fully Operational]
5 hours ago
[Lithium Battery: Cangzhou Mingzhu's Total Annual 700 Million m² Lithium Battery Separator Project Fully Operational]
Read More
[Lithium Battery: Cangzhou Mingzhu's Total Annual 700 Million m² Lithium Battery Separator Project Fully Operational]
[Lithium Battery: Cangzhou Mingzhu's Total Annual 700 Million m² Lithium Battery Separator Project Fully Operational]
On June 24, Cangzhou Mingzhu Plastic Co., Ltd. announced that its lithium-ion battery separator production expansion project has been fully completed. This commissioning involves the remaining production lines of the "annual 200 million square meter wet-process lithium-ion battery separator project" and the "annual 500 million square meter dry-process lithium-ion battery separator project." According to the announcement, the second production line (with an annual design capacity of 100 million square meters) under the wet-process project, which is being handled by the subsidiary Wuhu Mingzhu Separator Technology Co., Ltd., has recently commenced production. Concurrently, the remaining three production lines (with a combined annual design capacity of 300 million square meters) under the dry-process project, being handled by the subsidiary Cangzhou Mingzhu Lithium Battery Separator Co., Ltd., have also been completed and put into operation.
5 hours ago
[Lithium Battery: 1,000 Tons/Year Silicon-Carbon Anode Material Construction Project Planned For Yichun, Jiangxi]
5 hours ago
[Lithium Battery: 1,000 Tons/Year Silicon-Carbon Anode Material Construction Project Planned For Yichun, Jiangxi]
Read More
[Lithium Battery: 1,000 Tons/Year Silicon-Carbon Anode Material Construction Project Planned For Yichun, Jiangxi]
[Lithium Battery: 1,000 Tons/Year Silicon-Carbon Anode Material Construction Project Planned For Yichun, Jiangxi]
On June 24, the first public notice for the environmental impact assessment of the annual 1,000-ton silicon-carbon anode material construction project of Jiangxi Naer Lithium Battery Materials Co., Ltd. was released. The project uses porous carbon, silane, and other materials as raw materials, and will procure production equipment such as CVD nano-silicon deposition systems, interfacial coating and cracking systems, crushers, and supporting environmental protection facilities. Upon completion, the project will achieve an annual production capacity of 1,000 tons of silicon-carbon anode materials. The project is under the construction responsibility of Jiangxi Naer Lithium Battery Materials Co., Ltd., with the environmental impact assessment conducted by Jiangxi Shengjia Technology Consulting Services Co., Ltd.
5 hours ago