A game of ports is heating up in Central Africa as the West and China back competing green metal transport routes: the Lobito Corridor and TAZARA.
Cobalt
Cobalt is used in lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles and many other electronics, including cell phones and laptops.
Economies of scale, new supplies of lithium, and alternative technologies make it possible to sell electric vehicle batteries more cheaply.
There’s no such thing as “clean cobalt.” Cobalt extracted under slave-like conditions is mixed into supply from large-scale miners.
Indonesia wants to leverage its advantages in manufacturing and raw materials to become a regional electric vehicle powerhouse.
Scarcity of rare earths and metals are impacting the supply chains of Western EV manufacturers as Chinese domination grows.