The DRC will be able to house the first electric battery manufacturing plant in Africa
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The government of the DRC and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) will accelerate the operationalization of the cross-border Special Economic Zone where the first manufacturing plant for electric battery precursors will be installed.
This commitment was made this Tuesday, October 4 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the 2nd Pan-African Mining Forum.
Participants at this forum shared their experiences on the Pan-African Electric Battery Industry Project, piloted by the Democratic Republic of Congo.
After this pan-African forum in Addis Ababa, the operationalization of the cross-border Special Economic Zone where the first factory for the manufacture of electric battery precursors will be installed will be accelerated by the Congolese government and the ECA with its various technical and financial partners. indicated Augy Bolanda, project manager of the Agency for Special Economic Zones (AZES).
Auguy Bolanda said that the DRC has already made a site available:
"Today, the DRC has already given the site, we are waiting for the minister to discuss with the experts of the ECA to see how to continue with the implementation of this special economic zone".
In addition, during the meeting in Addis Ababa, the DRC shared its experiences on mining. This sharing of experiences was welcomed by ECA.
Professor Jean-Marc Kilolo, an economist with this UN commission, already sees the spearhead role of the DRC in this project:
"The DRC, through this project, is truly a spearhead of industrialization, an industrialization based on natural resources, and in this case, on mines".
This pan-African electric battery industry project piloted by the DRC will be at the heart of the African Union summit on industrialization and economic diversification to be held in Niamey, Niger, from November 20 to 25, 2022.
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