Congolese mining company Entreprise Générale du Cobalt, or EGC, signed an offtake agreement with commodity trading group Trafigura in a bid to fomalise artisanal and small-scale cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to media reports, the trading agreement includes the provision of finance by Trafigura to fund the creation of strictly controlled artisanal mining zones, the installation of ore purchasing stations and costs related to the transparent and traceable delivery of cobalt hydroxide to Trafigura on an export cleared basis.
Further, EGC will ensure that the ore marketed by Trafigura complies with OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas-under the supply terms. In support of this agreement, EGC will establish a Technical Committee through which Trafigura and the international non-profit organisation Pact, among others, will promote responsible sourcing diligence. Pact works alongside local communities in nearly 40 countries to eradicate poverty, notably by making artisanal and small-scale mining formal, safer and more productive.
In 2018, Trafigura and Pact first piloted an approach to the responsible sourcing of cobalt from semi-mechanised operations at the Mutoshi concession in the DRC. “Today’s announcement is very important for the Congolese artisanal cobalt sector,” says EGC MD Jean-Dominique Takis Kumbo.
“This partnership responds to the will of the Government through its initiative for the defence and promotion of national artisanal production. For our country to benefit from the intrinsic value of cobalt, currently boosted by the development of carbon-free energies, it was essential that measures be taken to support the formalisation of this industry. In fact, by cleaning-up this sector, which has been subject to recurring illegality and fraud for several years, and of which our artisanal miners are the first victims, society stands to benefit as a whole.
Trafigura’s executive chairman and CEO, Jeremy Weir, said Cobalt has a vital role to play in the world’s energy transition and electrification. Artisanal mining or ASM, provides an important livelihood in the DRC. Ultimately, the legitimacy of efforts to formalise and bring controls to the sector will depend on broad-based consultation and assurance that OECD standards will be upheld. As such, Trafigura will continue to engage and collaborate with stakeholders to be part of the solution to supply cobalt responsibly.
