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Mid-Nickel",103.5,99.73,3.78,13.78,6.78,[518,519,520,522,524,526,528,530,532,534,536,538],{"date":213,"value":512},{"date":216,"value":513},{"date":219,"value":521},99.19,{"date":222,"value":523},96.02,{"date":225,"value":525},98.23,{"date":467,"value":527},99.24,{"date":329,"value":529},101.29,{"date":339,"value":531},87.61,{"date":341,"value":533},92.44,{"date":344,"value":535},90.96,{"date":347,"value":537},92.24,{"date":350,"value":539},95.09,{"id":541,"uuid":542,"name":543,"slug":544,"full_slug":545,"content":546,"relatedArticles":774,"relatedVideos":775},112467707755935,"37f56d4f-9c55-4995-acef-842dd648536a","US considers “minerals-for-security” deal with the DRC","us-considers-minerals-for-security-deal-with-the-drc","article/us-considers-minerals-for-security-deal-with-the-drc",{"_uid":547,"date":548,"tags":549,"editor":559,"content":569,"excerpt":742,"featured":51,"reporter":743,"_editable":747,"component":748,"seo_title":543,"categories":749,"visibility":763,"author_company":49,"data_vis_image":764,"featured_image":769,"seo_description":742,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":772,"formattedArticleDate":773},"901e40ca-d600-49e5-8431-5681756c8501","2025-05-09 00:00",[550,553,556],{"slug":551,"name":552},"data-visualisation","Data Visualisation",{"slug":554,"name":555},"drc","DRC",{"slug":557,"name":558},"policy","Policy",[560],{"slug":561,"name":562,"content":563},"didi-bostock","Didi Bostock",{"job_title":564,"image":565,"bio":567,"linkedin":568},"Editor - Energy Transition & Economics",{"filename":566},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/2c5ca5c1a3/didi-bostock.jpeg","Didi is the Energy Transition & Economics Editor at Benchmark, covering a broad range of markets across the energy transition. His remit spans from downstream sectors such as BESS and EVs, through to midstream such as new technologies and battery production, to upstream critical minerals mining. He also leads on financial analysis across these supply chains, alongside in-depth policy analysis.\n","https://www.linkedin.com/in/didi-bostock-656342198/",{"type":570,"content":571},"doc",[572,597,602,615,620,633,640,645,657,662,667,675,680,685,690,695,703,708,721],{"type":573,"attrs":574,"content":575},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[576,579,587,589,595],{"text":577,"type":578},"The ","text",{"text":580,"type":578,"marks":581},"US is looking to play a larger role",[582],{"type":583,"attrs":584},"link",{"href":585,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/downloads/special-issues/1342127","url",{"text":588,"type":578}," in the critical minerals sector of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The country is a key source of cobalt for battery production and has a growing presence in the ",{"text":590,"type":578,"marks":591},"lithium market",[592],{"type":583,"attrs":593},{"href":594,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/africas-lithium-supply-to-treble-this-year-china-dominates-region",{"text":596,"type":578},".",{"type":573,"attrs":598,"content":599},{"textAlign":49},[600],{"text":601,"type":578},"The US plans to use its significant geopolitical sway to push toward this goal. The US will meet with Congolese and Rwandan officials with the aim of agreeing on the final draft of a peace accord, to end the conflict between the DRC and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group.",{"type":573,"attrs":603,"content":604},{"textAlign":49},[605,607,613],{"text":606,"type":578},"Following a similar “minerals-for-security” ",{"text":608,"type":578,"marks":609},"strategy deployed with Ukraine",[610],{"type":583,"attrs":611},{"href":612,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/us-and-ukraine-clinch-historic-critical-minerals-agreement",{"text":614,"type":578},", the US insists that bilateral economic agreements must be signed before any peace accord. These agreements would see the US invest billions of dollars into DRC mining and infrastructure projects as well as Rwandan projects.",{"type":573,"attrs":616,"content":617},{"textAlign":49},[618],{"text":619,"type":578},"In a move towards greater US presence in DRC minerals, US-based KoBold Metals announced in May it had agreed on a framework to buy AVZ Minerals’ stake in the sizeable Manono lithium project in the DRC. The agreement is being developed alongside the ongoing peace and economic discussions.",{"type":573,"attrs":621,"content":622},{"textAlign":49},[623,625,631],{"text":624,"type":578},"“For the Trump Administration, getting access to strategic greenfield critical minerals projects in the DRC, like the Manono lithium project, is one of the central priorities in securing a minerals-for-security deal with the DRC and Rwanda, as existing projects in the Copperbelt region are ",{"text":626,"type":578,"marks":627},"dominated mainly by Chinese companies",[628],{"type":583,"attrs":629},{"href":630,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/chinas-drc-dominance-threatens-us-de-risking-efforts",{"text":632,"type":578},",” said Bryan Bille, principal policy and geopolitics analyst at Benchmark.",{"type":634,"attrs":635,"content":637},"heading",{"level":636,"textAlign":49},4,[638],{"text":639,"type":578},"How can DRC lithium impact the market?",{"type":573,"attrs":641,"content":642},{"textAlign":49},[643],{"text":644,"type":578},"The DRC is home to the Manono lithium development. The development was split into the Manono and Manono North projects following a legal dispute over ownership. The projects are forecast to have a combined spodumene concentrate output of one million tonnes, equivalent to ~140,000 tonnes per year (lithium carbonate equivalent) making it one of the largest spodumene mines.",{"type":646,"attrs":647},"blok",{"id":648,"body":649},"07eb0f07-f52d-42b4-8ce8-ddd1683d6b1a",[650],{"id":651,"_uid":652,"type":653,"_editable":654,"component":655,"fixed_height":656,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":656,"fixed_height_tablet":656},"23086730","i-8d90535f-b7dd-4a68-a938-9a019d23edcb","visualisation","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"ContentFlourish\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"i-8d90535f-b7dd-4a68-a938-9a019d23edcb\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","ContentFlourish","",{"type":573,"attrs":658,"content":659},{"textAlign":49},[660],{"text":661,"type":578},"The Manono lithium deposit is high quality, and although transport logistics could double operating costs, Benchmark’s view is that the deposit will still be cost competitive globally. Costs could further be reduced through partnership with the US.",{"type":573,"attrs":663,"content":664},{"textAlign":49},[665],{"text":666,"type":578},"If the Manono projects are developed at an accelerated rate, it could worsen current surpluses and push the forecast deficit back from 2029 into next decade.",{"type":646,"attrs":668},{"id":669,"body":670},"6cf6cda9-4de0-4bde-9bd0-3bf7b62d0de6",[671],{"id":672,"_uid":673,"type":653,"_editable":674,"component":655,"fixed_height":656,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":656,"fixed_height_tablet":656},"23075967","i-3dd970b5-3f2a-4197-9f2b-7936a2c1444c","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"ContentFlourish\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"i-3dd970b5-3f2a-4197-9f2b-7936a2c1444c\", \"id\": \"\"}-->",{"type":573,"attrs":676,"content":677},{"textAlign":49},[678],{"text":679,"type":578},"KoBold is looking to buy the stake currently held by Australian miner AVZ which holds 51% in the Manono project. The rest of the project is owned by Cominiere (25%) and CATL (24%). Currently forecast to begin production in 2035, this deal could bring that date forward.",{"type":573,"attrs":681,"content":682},{"textAlign":49},[683],{"text":684,"type":578},"KoBold says that if the deal goes ahead, it will enable the company to invest over $1 billion in the asset, helping to push forward its development and unlock a key lithium resource for the US and other Western markets.",{"type":573,"attrs":686,"content":687},{"textAlign":49},[688],{"text":689,"type":578},"China’s Zijin Mining was granted a license for Manono North in 2023, and holds a majority stake in the project with the rest held by Cominiere.",{"type":573,"attrs":691,"content":692},{"textAlign":49},[693],{"text":694,"type":578},"Benchmark satellite analysis shows that significant work on the Manono North is underway, potentially in line with production starting in 2026 or 2027.",{"type":573,"attrs":696,"content":697},{"textAlign":49},[698],{"type":699,"attrs":700},"image",{"id":49,"alt":656,"src":701,"title":49,"source":49,"copyright":49,"meta_data":702},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/cd76e0c4d4/bm-zijin-manono-northeast-lithium-010.png",{},{"type":634,"attrs":704,"content":705},{"level":636,"textAlign":49},[706],{"text":707,"type":578},"What is the role of China in the DRC?",{"type":573,"attrs":709,"content":710},{"textAlign":49},[711,713,719],{"text":712,"type":578},"Through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), ",{"text":714,"type":578,"marks":715},"China has invested billions",[716],{"type":583,"attrs":717},{"href":718,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/african-lithium-exports-climb-as-chinese-owned-mines-go-online",{"text":720,"type":578}," of dollars in the DRC’s assets and infrastructure, giving China a significant hold over the country’s critical minerals ecosystem.",{"type":573,"attrs":722,"content":723},{"textAlign":49},[724,726,732,734,740],{"text":725,"type":578},"The “minerals-for-security” deal is just the latest move by the US to get a foothold in the otherwise China-dominated region. A key tool for the US to gain a foothold in the DRC and ",{"text":727,"type":578,"marks":728},"Africa more broadly",[729],{"type":583,"attrs":730},{"href":731,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/zimbabwe-africas-lithium-heartland?_branch_match_id=1544413264717313927&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT0rNS87ITSzKzs3MSy1KzCnWSywo0MvJzMvWdwzz9XW0SHIKCEiyrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUAq3asA0gAAAA%3D",{"text":733,"type":578}," is the ",{"text":735,"type":578,"marks":736},"Lobito Corridor Project",[737],{"type":583,"attrs":738},{"href":739,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":586},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/us-proposal-for-trans-africa-corridor-targets-copper-and-cobalt-supply-chains",{"text":741,"type":578},". This rail infrastructure project aims to significantly reduce transportation times across the African Copperbelt.","The US is looking to play a larger role in the critical minerals sector of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The country is a key source of cobalt for battery production and has a growing presence in the lithium market. The US plans to use its significant geopolitical sway to push toward this […]",[744],{"slug":561,"name":562,"content":745},{"job_title":564,"image":746,"bio":567,"linkedin":568},{"filename":566},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"901e40ca-d600-49e5-8431-5681756c8501\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[750,752,755,758,761],{"slug":751,"name":115},"cobalt",{"slug":753,"name":754},"copper","Copper",{"slug":756,"name":757},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":759,"name":760},"geopolitics","Geopolitics",{"slug":762,"name":8},"lithium","private",{"id":49,"alt":765,"name":656,"focus":656,"title":765,"source":656,"filename":766,"copyright":656,"fieldtype":767,"meta_data":768,"is_external_url":51},"Activity seen at Manono North lithium project","https://res.cloudinary.com/benchmarkminerals/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1746795074/www-production/Zijin_Manono_Northeast_Lithium_0.8-1/Zijin_Manono_Northeast_Lithium_0.8-1.png?_i=AA","asset",{"alt":765,"title":765,"source":656,"copyright":656},{"id":49,"alt":656,"name":656,"focus":656,"title":656,"source":656,"filename":770,"copyright":656,"fieldtype":767,"meta_data":771,"is_external_url":51},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/7d9f45d1e1/bm-rochedure.jpg",{"alt":656,"title":656,"source":656,"copyright":656},"May 09, 2025","9th May 2025",[],[],1781530274953]