At last Roadshows in 2021 and in 2022 (called prior to roadshow cancellations) there was a private discussion of a surprise twist for shareholders which was never disclosed in its exact nature. (AVZ not to be a one trick pony discussion , and diversification many of you heard) (positive outcome even before the concerns that have arisen in last 6 months)
The government through their actions seem to be building up to that event (my guess , pure speculation)
I think we will get a bit more of the action than we bargained for (which will blow out estimates made by Con Garlas)
Further clues are in the article below, why would Julien be stating this in the press.
My thoughts are
-Larger Processing Plant than imagined
-Rail infrastructure to be fast-tracked
-We have a share of an interest in a Hydroxide plant (perhaps more than one if Europe is engaged)
-Plan B was always CDL for redevelopment (but as a last resort , I think we do not need that Plan B unless a major player makes an offer just to do a JV with CDL)
The costings below are rather specific for Julien to quote, for battery plant I think they have researched further and realised this project can be made to a larger scale very quickly. (my speculation). The discussions on ownership are just noise, which is already determined in outcome by DRC Goverment, just not actioned yet unfortunately.
Article link below
Les travaux de la 8e édition de Rebranding Africa Forum se sont clôturés vendredi 21 octobre 2022 au Parlement de la Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles en Belgique.
actualite.cd
The work of the 8th edition of Rebranding Africa Forum ended on Friday 21 October 2022 at the Parliament of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in Belgium. Focused on the implementation of investment attraction strategies by African countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo was represented by its Minister of Industry Julien Paluku Kahongya.
On this occasion, Julien Paluku shared the experience of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the process of installing a first plant for the manufacture of electric battery precursors in the province of Haut-Katanga and setting up Special Economic Zones that offer tax, para-fiscal and customs benefits to investors, by developing his country's Master Plan for Industrialization valued at 58.4 billion US dollars.
He continued:
Taking advantage of the forum of this forum which brought together representatives of African countries, entrepreneurs and technical and financial partners from other continents, the Minister of Industry called on the countries of the black continent to mutualize to transform the economies of imports to local processing economies of natural resources.
For Julien Paluku, speaker at this forum, the lack of infrastructure and energy in this country are opportunities that investors should seize.