17-18 September 2024 | Fleuve Congo Hotel, DRC
BATTERY METALS NEWS
TANTALEX INTERVIEW: “We believe we'll be the first lithium producers in the DRC”
Exclusive interview with Eric Allard, CEO of Tantalex Lithium Resources, a cobalt sponsor for the upcoming and inaugural DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum from 20-21 September 2023 in the DRC’s capital of Kinshasa.
Let's start with some background on Tantalex Lithium Resources.
Tantalex Lithium Resources was created in 2013, but we really only commenced our activities in the DRC in 2016 when we were invited to visit concessions in the Manono area. We are a publicly listed company in Canada and have secondary listings in the US and Germany.
We are currently focused on lithium, tin and tantalum exploration in the Manono area. It is really only in late 2020, after enduring the lithium downcycle and COVID, that we really managed to seriously start developing our three projects. And that's what we're going to be talking about today.
Tell us more about you, you are a geological engineer?
My background is geological engineering. I lived in Guinea at a very young age and studied here in Canada at Laval University. I am a mineral and exploration geologist, developing projects mainly in Africa for the last 20 years in potash and oil and gas and now lithium, tin and tantalum since 2016 in the DRC.
Let’s talk about your current projects in the DRC.
As I mentioned, our current projects in the DRC are all in the Manono area. We were first movers back in 2016 entering into a joint venture agreement with the state company Cominière SA. We have quite a sizable land package for tin, tantalum alluvial deposits and highly prospective hard rock lithium properties.
In 2018, we started our initial earn-in into the tailings concession of the old historical mine of Manono-Kitolo, which exploited tin and tantalum for nearly 70 years. We have 105 million tonnes of tailings on the surface containing varying grades of lithium, tin and tantalum. We have drilled on about half of them which lead to our maiden resource estimate of 12 million tonnes at an average grade of at 0,64% Li2O. We are in the process of completing our preliminary economic assessment and bringing this valuable asset into production. We do believe we'll be the first lithium producers in the DRC, given the relatively easy mining method for tailings reclamation.
At the same time, we're developing our TiTan project to produce alluvial tin and tantalum concentrate. This project is about 40 kilometres southwest from the old Manolo historical mine where our tailings asset is. It's a historical riverbed where there's gravels enriched with cassiterite and coltan. With our strategic investor Afrimet Resources who is specialized in the trading of tin and tantalum, we saw the potential for this project in 2020, and have been developing it ever since. Our teams have designed our concentrate plant and, all in all, it's a $15 million investment that we've just made for this plant and the mining equipment. Right now, we're commissioning this equipment and this plant, and we should see our first export during the month of September. I’m quite enthused about that.
We also have 1,200 square kilometres of greenfield exploration potential for hardrock lithium; we call that project the Pegmatite Corridor. It's immediately downstrike and adjacent from the old historical mine and where our neighbours just recently discovered the largest hardrock lithium deposit in the world, a 400 million tonne resource, at 1.65% Li2O. We’ve done all the mapping and geophysics work now and the drills should start turning very soon.
Where else in Africa are you looking to for growth?
For the time being, we're very much focused on the DRC. We are open to other possibilities for working in Africa. But, for the time being, we want to deliver on our current projects and put our projects into production first before venturing too much elsewhere.
On your website you have a page that says “Why Africa?” Can you answer that question for us?
Why Africa? Well, Africa is obviously a large continent with so much potential and unexploited and untapped potential. Myself, I grew up partially in Africa; I've lived in Africa for quite a long time. And I’ve been going between Africa and Canada for about 20 years. Most of our board is also very much focused on Africa. And we work in Africa and Africa is where you have the cobalt and copper in the DRC. The continent and particularly the DRC is endowed with so many untapped resources that we can exploit, and there is an abundance of people that can actually do the work. The human resource factor is really important in developing resources. Africa has that capability of providing a large workforce and we can see first-hand all the benefits that mining can bring to the population when it is done properly.
Speaking of people, what is Tantalex Lithium Resources’ ESG philosophy and how is it implemented? Any success stories that you can share?
Tantalex Lithium has been very active in the ESG space ever since the beginning of our exploration. For us, the most important link and stakeholder is the community we operate in. And to that effect, we've been really, really proactive in developing and working with the population and alleviating some of the hardships that we find in the area.
One of the notable things that we've done is basically support and finance an NGO called Upright Africa in making a new hospital operational and conducting over 600 operations on the local population. It has been really amazing to see all the people flocking towards the hospital to get tumors removed and being so grateful for the medical assistance provided. It has really changed the lives of so many people. So that has been really nice.
We've also helped with a measles vaccination campaign, which has really brought down the death rate of children from 12 a week to zero. So, there are many things that we are doing: we're hiring a lot of people in the local community, creating jobs and creating value and bringing some wealth to the Manono area. We are not in production yet, so our means are limited, but wherever we can assist, we do our best.
So for us, these are all really important factors. We are making sure that environmental, social and governance impact assessments are aligned with the DRC Mining CODE as well as the OECD principles and World Bank standards. We are working diligently on our community development plans alongside the provincial authorities and Manono communities. The Carter Center has provided enormous support and assistance in in putting all this together.
How excited are you about the future of battery metals and what these will mean for the region? What is your vision?
I'm extremely excited about the future of battery metals in the DRC and in the region. Recently, the DRC and Zambia announced that they will form a partnership in creating a downstream battery metals factory. I believe the US has also said that they would be willing to cooperate and to support and finance such an EV battery plant. For now, Tantalex is very much focused on producing the lithium minerals, but looking towards the future, we would certainly look at partnering with people for projects doing more downstream work.
Let's not forget the DRC is already the largest cobalt producer in the world, and just reached the status of number two in the copper space with the great Ivanhoe Kamoa-Kakula mine. So, the DRC is already a super, super important player in the battery metal space. And now, with the lithium discoveries in Manono, they're just becoming an essential player to the emerging EV and energy storage future.
Tantalex Lithium Resources is a cobalt sponsor for the upcoming and inaugural DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum. How important is this gathering for the mining industry?
It's extremely important because it's positioning the DRC as a leader in the battery metal space, and that is their right, because that's where we find most of the battery metals. The DRC also has an established mining code and an established mining industry. There are huge mines, and there are a lot of majors working here. There's a very large human resource base, very well-trained skilled workers that we can work with.
It's not always an easy country to work in because of the lack of infrastructure and the perceived high political risk. But there are a lot of resources and that is enough to attract very large groups who have been able to set up very profitable and sustainable mining operations. This gathering is important to highlight that there are still a lot of opportunities for resource discovery and development in the DRC and Africa in general.
What will be your message at the event?
I think the best message we can have is that the DRC is an existing mining power and an upcoming one in the battery metal space and that we can do a lot more in the lithium space, that's for sure. There's already quite a lot being done in the cobalt and the copper, but the lithium is emerging and Manono has the resources to make it a big player—just as big as they are in the cobalt and the copper space. So, I think that's my main message, saying: Let’s bring lithium to the market here and position the DRC as the largest lithium producer, at least in Africa
Is there anything you would like to add?
Well, I'd like to thank Vuka for organising the event and collaborating with the DRC, the government and all the stakeholders to make this happen Thank you so much to all my team that's working hard in Manono, building our projects and creating value for our shareholders and stakeholders. We have up to 200 people working in the field, sometimes in very difficult conditions. So, thank you to the entire Tantalex Lithium team for making this happen.
DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum dates and location:
Dates: 20–21 September 2023
Location: Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana, Kinshasa, DRC
Website: https://www.drc-africabatterymetals.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BatteryDrc
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/BatteryMetalsDRC/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/africa-battery-metals-drc/
Media contact:
Annemarie Roodbol
Email: annemarie.roodbol@wearevuka.com
Eric Allard,
CEO of Tantalex Lithium Resources
DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum ready for crucial September launch
The inaugural edition of the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum, taking place in Kinshasa from 20–21 September* this year, will contribute to the establishment of an inclusive and equitable battery metals industry, support large-scale sustainable growth, local beneficiation and socio-economic development. This is according to Samukelo Madlabane, mining Events Director at the VUKA Group, the organisers of the new forum.
“The DRC’s Ministry of Industry has been tasked by the government to build a battery metals industry in Africa, with a state-owned firm processing some of the battery minerals in the country and other African countries playing various roles in the value chain,” states Madlabane.
He adds: “In an effort to curb the effects of climate change, the world needs to go through an energy transition that will be driven largely by battery metals. With the DRC endowed with these minerals, the country needs a platform for dialogue on how to leverage the demand. The theme of the conference is: Creating wealth for the DRC and Africa’s battery metals industry value chain.”
Broad-based sustainable growth
Fresh from yet another hugely successful, record-breaking DRC Mining Week in Lubumbashi, a long-running flagship event organised by the VUKA Group, Madlabane and his team are only too aware of the crucial timing of the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum and that the stakes are high.
He explains: “There is a need to ensure that as the DRC builds this new industry, that it does so in an inclusive and equitable manner, and it is critical to have all the players in the value chain in the room to make sure it happens in that manner.”
Other than for investors, the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum is a must- attend forum for the cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel, graphite, manganese, rare earths and 3T producers as well as battery makers, traders, investors and NGOs in Africa.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has given the continent renewed hope and it unlocks new opportunities, such as local beneficiation. According to a Bloomberg study, it would be financially more reasonable to produce batteries in the DRC and in other African countries rather than producing them in China. “The birth of this timeous conference is the perfect storm, the conditions are just right,” adds Madlabane.
Key discussion points at the inaugural two-day conference will include:
- The inter-ministerial dialogue of local transformation and building a local economy
- DRC and Zambia partnering in battery production
- What this means for the continent
- The mining operators’ opinions and contributions on matters related to local processing
- Energy transition metals, strategic issues, compliance and production standards
- The socio-economic plan for sustainable growth
- Developing incredible investor incentives
- Transparent value chains and governance
Broad support
The excitement and anticipation to define and develop this new mining sector are palpable among the public and private sectors. Confirmed to engage in the constructive dialogue at DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum are:
- DRC Minister of Industry, H.E. Julien Paluku Kahongya
- DRC Minister of Mines, H.E. Antoinette N’Samba Kalambayi
Industry leaders that have pledged their support include AVZ Minerals Limited as cobalt plus sponsor; Fair Cobalt Alliance, Tantalex Lithium Resources, Tenke Fungurume Mining and CMOC Kisanfu Mining as cobalt sponsors; AxisHouse Group as copper sponsor; Elephant Trade as nickel sponsor; and Afritech Sarl., Carmeuse Handyman’s Lime, Knight Piésold Consulting and MMG as bronze sponsors.
There are still various sponsorship opportunities for sector leaders available to promote their sustainable mining industry practices to government officials, key leaders and decision-makers.
Flagship events
The DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum launch event forms part of the already impressive mining portfolio of the VUKA Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa), with long-running flagship events, such as DRC Mining Week, which was held in Lubumbashi from 14–16 June this year to record numbers (including 9000+ attendees and six international pavilions) and Nigeria Mining Week as well as Mining Review Africa, a leading industry magazine and online news platform.
More information is available on the event website: www.drc-africabatterymetals.com. To register to attend, click here.
About VUKA Group
The VUKA Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa) is a leading Cape Town-based and multi-award-winning organiser of exhibitions, conferences and digital events across the continent in the mining, infrastructure, energy, mobility, ecommerce and CX sectors. Other well-known events by VUKA Group include Enlit Africa, Africa’s Green Economy Summit, ECOM Africa, CEM Africa and Smarter Mobility Africa.
Premier media partner
Mining Review Africa (MRA) is the leading monthly magazine and digital platform in the African mining industry. Every month, MRA reaches an audience of over 50,000 influential mining authorities and key decision makers through a variety of channels, including an interactive website, videos and print distribution at all major mining conferences in Africa and across the globe.
DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum dates and location:
Dates: 20–21 September 2023
Location: Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana, Kinshasa, DRC
Website: https://www.drc-africabatterymetals.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BatteryDrc
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/BatteryMetalsDRC/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/africa-battery-metals-drc/
Media contact:
Annemarie Roodbol
Email: annemarie.roodbol@wearevuka.com
U.S signs MoU with DRC and Zambia to strengthen EV battery value chain
The Department of State released the signed MoU on electric vehicle battery value chains signed by the United States during the Africa Leaders Summit.
Through this MOU, the United States will support the commitment between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to develop jointly a supply chain for electric vehicle batteries.
READ THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING DOCUMENT HERE
The MoU supports the DRC and Zambia’s goal of building a productive supply chain, from the mine to the assembly line, while also committing to respect international standards to prevent, detect, and take legal action to fight corruption throughout this process.
The DRC produces more than 70% of the world’s cobalt. Zambia is the world’s sixth-largest copper producer, and the second largest cobalt producer in Africa. These resources, and this commitment to cooperation, are crucial components of the urgently needed global energy transition.
The plan to develop an electric battery supply chain opens the door for open and transparent investment to build value-added and sustainable industry in Africa and creating a just energy transition for workers and local communities.
The U.S. private sector is a tremendous resource, both for technical knowledge and financing, for commercial development at every step in the process. The U.S. government will work with the DRC and Zambia to ensure the private sector has a level playing field to participate in these projects.
source: Mining Review Africa
Rising new energy vehicle sales bode well for cobalt demand
According to trade association the Cobalt Institute’s quarterly market update for the fourth quarter of 2022, global new energy vehicle (NEV) sales rose by 56% year-on-year to 3.5-million units, with NEV penetration reaching nearly 20% by December.
The report, which was prepared with the help of Wood Mackenzie, notes that the share of cobalt-free chemistries in electric vehicle (EV) battery formulations has increased, with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) now representing more than 30% of the total market. Despite this, cobalt consumption in EVs jumped by more than 60% year-on-year in 2022.
Meanwhile, the commercial aviation sector faced several headwinds during the quarter, including high inflation, increased jet fuel costs and the resurgence of Covid-19.
Despite these challenges, the aerospace sector remained resilient, with air travel up 18% year-on-year in 2022. This increased demand supported alloy cobalt demand and drove strong financial performance from major superalloy manufacturers.
Cobalt metal prices tumbled by 20% over the quarter owing to elevated energy prices and rising inflation, which hurt demand. The feedstock market also remained relatively quiet during the quarter, with high stocks and improved logistics dragging hydroxide payables down to the high 50s. Prices for both cobalt sulphate and tetroxide also plunged during the quarter.
The report also highlights numerous risks to the cobalt outlook, both in the short and long term.
In the short term, there is a medium probability that the positive economic impact of easing Covid-19 restrictions in China happens faster than currently forecast. There is also a high probability that the dispute over the Tenke Fungurume mine, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), remains unresolved, affecting hydroxide shipments and production, which, in turn tightens spot availability in the global market.
Additionally, there is a medium probability that global EV growth slows owing to further Covid-19 outbreaks in China and the end of subsidies, while a high probability exists that the deepening Ukraine crisis worsens the macroeconomic outlook, leading to a plunge in demand for computers and smartphones.
Also, a high probability exists in the short term that major Congolese producers or Indonesian high-pressure acid leaching plant operators or both, expand and ramp up quicker than expected, pushing stocks higher.
In the long term, there is a high probability of greater and faster EV adoption globally, putting increased strain on cobalt sulphate availability, and a high probability that stricter environmental policies in China and Europe delay the procedure to build up processing capacity, pushing up production costs.
There is also a high likelihood that, in the long term, accelerated energy transition will require more cobalt for power generation and energy storage. Meanwhile, a medium probability exists for environment, social and governance (ESG) concerns around artisanal mining, emissions and waste disposal to slow copper and nickel developments in the DRC and Indonesia, therefore tightening mine supply.
Finally, there is a strong likelihood that that ESG and cost concerns or disruptive battery technologies trigger faster cobalt substitution across battery applications. It is possible but not likely that battery recycling exceeds the base case, thereby suppressing demand for virgin materials.
Source: Creamer Media's Mining Weekly
Bloomberg
Global Battery Alliance launches Battery Passport Proof of Concept
The Global Battery Alliance (GBA), the world’s largest multi-stakeholder organisation to establish a sustainable battery value chain by 2030, has launched the proof of concept for its Battery Passport at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos.
The Battery Passport is key to facilitating the rapid scaling of sustainable, circular, and responsible battery value chains to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement through electrification of the transport and power sectors.
It has been developed over three years by the GBA’s members, who span the global battery value chain from the mine to recycling, including Audi, BASF, CATL, Eurasian Resources Group, Glencore, LG Energy Solution, Umicore, Tesla, Volkswagen AG, and IT solution providers as well as leading non-governmental and international organisations including IndustriALL Global Union, Pact, Transport & Environment, UNEP, UNICEF and many others, with the support of government institutions like the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and Natural Resources Canada.
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Partnership will improve battery recycling in South Africa
Batteries are the key to unlocking the energy transition. At the same time, batteries are material- and resource-intensive with inevitable social and environmental impacts throughout the value chain.
This includes greenhouse gas emissions during material sourcing, processing, and manufacturing of batteries and issues of child labour and human rights violations. Bringing transparency to battery value chains through the introduction of the battery passport is a critical step towards establishing sustainable battery value chains in a rapidly growing industry.
The Battery Passport is the GBA’s flagship initiative, establishing a digital twin of a physical battery that conveys information about all applicable sustainability and lifecycle requirements based on a comprehensive definition of a sustainable battery. It will bring new levels of transparency to the global battery value chain by collecting, exchanging, collating, and reporting trusted data among all lifecycle stakeholders on the material provenance, the battery’s chemical make-up and manufacturing history and its sustainability performance.
The GBA’s Battery Passport is unique as it is a key instrument to implement a global vision of sustainable, responsible, and circular battery value chains, based on data that is standardized, comparable and auditable.
Its goal is to provide end-users with a quality seal based on the battery’s sustainability performance, according to reporting rules agreed by stakeholders from industry, academia, non-governmental organisations, and government.
For the first time, the GBA has unveiled the illustrative results of its Battery Passport proof of concept at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos. Publicly available on the Global Battery Alliance’s website, the prototype battery passports include example data from Audi and Tesla and their value chains partners relating to the battery’s technical specifications, material provenance, and reporting against key sustainability performance indicators.
This includes partial reporting of the battery’s carbon footprint, and child labour and human rights performance, according to rulebooks developed by members of the Global Battery Alliance for select materials, as well as information on the data collection across different steps of the value chains.
By establishing this proof of concept, the Global Battery Alliance and its members are demonstrating how, by putting this data in the hands of end users, the Passport will enable customers to make more informed purchasing decisions and drive sustainable sourcing, processing, and manufacturing practices in the industry in the future.
Building on the ground-breaking efforts of the Global Battery Alliance, the concept of a Battery Passport has already been endorsed at the 2021 G7 Leaders’ Meeting, in the EU Battery Regulation and by the Canadian and U.S. administrations. A Battery Passport will become a mandatory requirement in the EU by 2026 with other regions likely to follow, which makes the launch of the GBA’s Battery Passport more important than ever to provide a globally harmonized framework for sustainability performance in the future.
Following the successful launch of the proof of concept, the GBA will continue evolving the battery passport architecture, including the development of a comprehensive and streamlined indicator framework. The members of the GBA will work jointly on developing rules and mechanisms for performance scoring, data governance, assurance, and verification, including of IT instruments.
Once completed, this will allow for batteries to be benchmarked against the GBA’s verifiable definition of a sustainable and responsible battery in the future, identifying those that are best and worst in class and tracking progress in the industry through the issuance of a GBA quality seal for batteries.
Dr. Robert Habeck, German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, said:
“The Battery Passport proof of concept presented today is a very impressive first tangible result of the GBA, which my ministry has been supporting since 2019. The Battery Passport is a pivotal embodiment of the digital and green “twin transition” – it utilises the digital world to facilitate the decarbonisation of the real world and to promote circularity.
“We believe that global progress in green technologies is most efficient when we rely on globally compatible standards and a level playing field to minimize frictions between different markets in the industries we need to transform. Therefore, GBA’s work as an international actor is so important.”
Benedikt Sobotka, Co-Chair of the Global Battery Alliance, and CEO of Eurasian Resources Group, founding member of the GBA, said:
“The launch of the Battery Passport proof of concept is a major milestone on the road to creating a truly verifiable digital twin of a battery. The GBA’s Battery Passport is the first and only passport to be developed by stakeholders spanning the entire battery value chain, making it the standard bearer for battery transparency.
“Our attention will now turn to benchmarking Battery Passport data and issuing quality seals based on sustainability performance to provide a trusted source of data to end consumers, guiding purchasing decisions and triggering improvement actions across the value chain.”
Ferdinand Maubrey, Head of Responsible Sourcing, Battery Supply Chain & Battery Minerals, Tesla says:
“Tesla piloted the Battery Passport and collected the relevant environmental and social data points on our cobalt supply chain. While a lot more work needs to be done to cover all relevant areas across battery mineral supply chains, standard reporting across a level playing field certainly has a role to play in the transition towards sustainable energy.”
Julia Poliscanova, T&E’s senior director for e-mobility says:
“Batteries are the new oil, but to avoid the mistakes of the oil age we must ensure batteries are produced sustainably, their materials sourced responsibly, and the entire supply chain is circular.
“Transport & Environment has supported GBA’s work from the outset to cement sustainability and responsible sourcing into the global battery industry.
“The launch of the Battery Passport marks a key milestone on that journey. It will enable transparent disclosure of key sustainability and human rights data, thus improving transparency and trust across the supply chain.”
Source: Mining Review Africa
Bloomberg
Strategic partnership will create radically improved environmentally friendly battery recycling in South Africa.
Johannesburg / Houston 14 December 2022 – A business in the United States and a South African investment business have signed a term sheet to form a joint venture to build and operate two environmentally sustainable battery recycling facilities in South Africa. Through the joint venture, the companies aim to bring radical change to the management of South Africa’s battery waste.
The partners are Tabono Investments, a leading investment company in Africa with experience in mining, logistics and recycling and ACE Green Recycling, an innovative recycling platform for battery materials.
“Green energy is on the rise in South Africa,” said Tabono co-founder Liran Assness, “and with it, lead-acid and lithium-ion battery usage.”
Tabono’s other co-founder Reon Barnard added, “With dedicated environmentally friendly ways of recycling batteries, the world can leverage valuable materials like lead, lithium and cobalt, and power our future in a less harmful way.”
The facilities will separately process and recycle lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries utilizing ACE’s proprietary technology that creates zero Scope 1 emissions by operating without fossil fuel-based heating. Both recycling facilities will be greenfield projects to be developed and operated by the joint venture. Under the new structure, ACE will have 51 percent ownership and Tabono will own 49 percent.
“We are committed to ensuring emerging markets benefit from our clean battery recycling solutions,” said Nishchay Chadha, ACE CEO and co-founder. “Combining our expertise with Tabono will ensure development of safe and sustainable closed-loop solutions for battery materials within South Africa.”
Once established, the joint venture will leverage each partner’s strengths. ACE has developed a portfolio of proprietary technologies to recycle lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries and capture their critical materials atmarket-leading recovery yields. Tabono brings vast experience in the minerals and industrial services industries across Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa.
Earlier this year, Tabono Investments acquired a stake in Advanced Group, a risk management, mitigation and emergency response specialist entrenched in the mining sector.
ENDS
About Tabono Investments
Tabono Investments is an owner-managed investment business focused on profitable businesses in highly specialised sectors. We are attracted to difficult, risky and specialised concerns that we can support to grow into significantly sized businesses within three years. Built by entrepreneurs from the ground up, Tabono Investments is excited by mining, industrial, services and logistics businesses which are highly specialised and hands-on.
www.tabonoinvestments.com
About ACE Green Recycling
ACE Green Recycling is a U.S.-based green recycling technology company with global operations across North America, Europe and Asia and is the only battery recycling tech platform with sustainable solutions for both Lead-acid (LAB) and Lithium-ion (LIB) batteries. The company is also developing clean technology solutions for other metallic waste streams. ACE’s green recycling technology aims to assist the battery industry in making global electrification sustainable.
www.acegreenrecycling.com
For further information, contact Despina Harito despina@turquoisepr.co.za or 084 453 1755 Michelle K Blumenau michelle@turquoisepr.co.za 083 273 9891
L-R Reon Barnard and Liran Assness, co-founders, Tabono Investments
Strategic partnership will create radically improved environmentally friendly battery recycling in South Africa.
Johannesburg / Houston 14 December 2022 – A business in the United States and a South African investment business have signed a term sheet to form a joint venture to build and operate two environmentally sustainable battery recycling facilities in South Africa. Through the joint venture, the companies aim to bring radical change to the management of South Africa’s battery waste.
The partners are Tabono Investments, a leading investment company in Africa with experience in mining, logistics and recycling and ACE Green Recycling, an innovative recycling platform for battery materials.
“Green energy is on the rise in South Africa,” said Tabono co-founder Liran Assness, “and with it, lead-acid and lithium-ion battery usage.”
Tabono’s other co-founder Reon Barnard added, “With dedicated environmentally friendly ways of recycling batteries, the world can leverage valuable materials like lead, lithium and cobalt, and power our future in a less harmful way.”
The facilities will separately process and recycle lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries utilizing ACE’s proprietary technology that creates zero Scope 1 emissions by operating without fossil fuel-based heating. Both recycling facilities will be greenfield projects to be developed and operated by the joint venture. Under the new structure, ACE will have 51 percent ownership and Tabono will own 49 percent.
“We are committed to ensuring emerging markets benefit from our clean battery recycling solutions,” said Nishchay Chadha, ACE CEO and co-founder. “Combining our expertise with Tabono will ensure development of safe and sustainable closed-loop solutions for battery materials within South Africa.”
Once established, the joint venture will leverage each partner’s strengths. ACE has developed a portfolio of proprietary technologies to recycle lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries and capture their critical materials atmarket-leading recovery yields. Tabono brings vast experience in the minerals and industrial services industries across Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa.
Earlier this year, Tabono Investments acquired a stake in Advanced Group, a risk management, mitigation and emergency response specialist entrenched in the mining sector.
ENDS
About Tabono Investments
Tabono Investments is an owner-managed investment business focused on profitable businesses in highly specialised sectors. We are attracted to difficult, risky and specialised concerns that we can support to grow into significantly sized businesses within three years. Built by entrepreneurs from the ground up, Tabono Investments is excited by mining, industrial, services and logistics businesses which are highly specialised and hands-on.
www.tabonoinvestments.com
About ACE Green Recycling
ACE Green Recycling is a U.S.-based green recycling technology company with global operations across North America, Europe and Asia and is the only battery recycling tech platform with sustainable solutions for both Lead-acid (LAB) and Lithium-ion (LIB) batteries. The company is also developing clean technology solutions for other metallic waste streams. ACE’s green recycling technology aims to assist the battery industry in making global electrification sustainable.
www.acegreenrecycling.com
For further information, contact Despina Harito despina@turquoisepr.co.za or 084 453 1755 Michelle K Blumenau michelle@turquoisepr.co.za 083 273 9891
L-R Reon Barnard and Liran Assness, co-founders, Tabono Investments
Strategic partnership will create radically improved environmentally friendly battery recycling in South Africa.
Johannesburg / Houston 14 December 2022 – A business in the United States and a South African investment business have signed a term sheet to form a joint venture to build and operate two environmentally sustainable battery recycling facilities in South Africa. Through the joint venture, the companies aim to bring radical change to the management of South Africa’s battery waste.
The partners are Tabono Investments, a leading investment company in Africa with experience in mining, logistics and recycling and ACE Green Recycling, an innovative recycling platform for battery materials.
“Green energy is on the rise in South Africa,” said Tabono co-founder Liran Assness, “and with it, lead-acid and lithium-ion battery usage.”
Tabono’s other co-founder Reon Barnard added, “With dedicated environmentally friendly ways of recycling batteries, the world can leverage valuable materials like lead, lithium and cobalt, and power our future in a less harmful way.”
The facilities will separately process and recycle lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries utilizing ACE’s proprietary technology that creates zero Scope 1 emissions by operating without fossil fuel-based heating. Both recycling facilities will be greenfield projects to be developed and operated by the joint venture. Under the new structure, ACE will have 51 percent ownership and Tabono will own 49 percent.
“We are committed to ensuring emerging markets benefit from our clean battery recycling solutions,” said Nishchay Chadha, ACE CEO and co-founder. “Combining our expertise with Tabono will ensure development of safe and sustainable closed-loop solutions for battery materials within South Africa.”
Once established, the joint venture will leverage each partner’s strengths. ACE has developed a portfolio of proprietary technologies to recycle lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries and capture their critical materials atmarket-leading recovery yields. Tabono brings vast experience in the minerals and industrial services industries across Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa.
Earlier this year, Tabono Investments acquired a stake in Advanced Group, a risk management, mitigation and emergency response specialist entrenched in the mining sector.
ENDS
About Tabono Investments
Tabono Investments is an owner-managed investment business focused on profitable businesses in highly specialised sectors. We are attracted to difficult, risky and specialised concerns that we can support to grow into significantly sized businesses within three years. Built by entrepreneurs from the ground up, Tabono Investments is excited by mining, industrial, services and logistics businesses which are highly specialised and hands-on.
www.tabonoinvestments.com
About ACE Green Recycling
ACE Green Recycling is a U.S.-based green recycling technology company with global operations across North America, Europe and Asia and is the only battery recycling tech platform with sustainable solutions for both Lead-acid (LAB) and Lithium-ion (LIB) batteries. The company is also developing clean technology solutions for other metallic waste streams. ACE’s green recycling technology aims to assist the battery industry in making global electrification sustainable.
www.acegreenrecycling.com
For further information, contact Despina Harito despina@turquoisepr.co.za or 084 453 1755 Michelle K Blumenau michelle@turquoisepr.co.za 083 273 9891
L-R Reon Barnard and Liran Assness, co-founders, Tabono Investments
PRESS RELEASE
Press release: for immediate publication 18 Nov 2022
DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum to provide much-needed
strategic focus for minerals of the future
“Building an inclusive and equitable battery metals sector in the heart of Africa”
Driven by the demand for batteries and electric vehicles in a transparent and open environment, the continent welcomes the new DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum: a specialised event that will gather high-level representatives from the entire battery metals industry value chain from 12–13 September 2023.
Battery metals and minerals include cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel, graphite, manganese, rare earths and the 3Ts (tin, tantalum and tungsten). The DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum will take place in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC where about 68% of the world’s cobalt is mined.
“DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum is committed to positioning DRC as the African hub for battery metals production and manufacture. It is about creating wealth for the entire DRC and African battery metals industry value chain,” says event director Sam Madlabane.
He adds: “the forum will provide a prime engagement platform and meeting place for government, mining companies, key stakeholders, technology and service providers and end users to facilitate dialogue in defining and building a new extractive sector of the industry in the DRC. In addition, it is important to build an inclusive and equitable battery metals industry in the heart of Africa, underpinning broad-based sustainable growth, local beneficiation and socio-economic development.”
Flagship events
The DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum forms part of the already impressive mining portfolio of the VUKA Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa), with long-running flagship events, such as DRC Mining Week and Nigeria Mining Week, which was recently held to record numbers in Abuja, as well as Mining Review Africa, a leading industry magazine and online news platform.
The event will comprise a two-day conference and there are various sponsorship opportunities for sector leaders to promote their sustainable mining industry practices to government officials, key leaders and decision makers. AVZ Minerals Limited has already been confirmed as the cobalt plus sponsor. Says VUKA Group MD David Ashdown: “
More information about the programme is available on the event website: www.drc-africabatterymetals.com. To register to attend, click here.
About DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum
DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum is a launch annual event and is organised by the VUKA Group. DRC Mining Week and Nigeria Mining Week are partner events and Mining Review Africa is the premier event media partner.
About VUKA Group
The VUKA Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa) is a leading Cape Town-based and multi-award-winning organiser of exhibitions, conferences and digital events across the continent in the mining, infrastructure, energy, mobility, ecommerce and CX sectors. Other well-known events by VUKA Group include DRC Mining Week, Nigeria Mining Week, Enlit Africa, Africa’s Green Economy Summit, ECOM Africa, CEM Africa and Smarter Mobility Africa.
About Mining Review Africa
Mining Review Africa (MRA) is the leading monthly magazine and digital platform in the African mining industry. Every month, MRA reaches an audience of over 50,000 influential mining authorities and key decision makers through a variety of channels, including an interactive website, videos and print distribution at all major mining conferences in Africa and across the globe.
DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum dates and location:
Dates: 12–13 September 2023
Location: Pullman Kinshasa Grand Hotel, Kinshasa, DRC
Website: www.drc-africabatterymetals.com