Africa-Press – Namibia. A RECENT African Development Bank meeting has examined how Africa can become a hub for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries to store energy and electrify transport fleet.
A RECENT African Development Bank meeting has examined how Africa can become a hub for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries to store energy and electrify transport fleet.
The webinar, which took place last month, was held under the theme, ‘Leveraging Africa’s green minerals for the energy transition: The role of regional integration and the AfCFTA’.
Representatives from the African Development Bank, the African Union African Minerals Development Corporation, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Bloomberg NEF, the International Energy Agency and independent experts affirmed Africa’s opportunities given its rich endowments in lithium, graphite, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earth minerals.
All of these are essential for building the global green economy of the future and they also comprise new market opportunities for net-zero transitions.
Vanessa Ushie, the acting director of the Bank’s African Natural Resource Management and Investment Centre, emphasised Africa’s potential that given Africa’s competitive advantage due to rich endowments in renewable energy and green mineral resources, many African countries have a unique opportunity to benefit from low-carbon development and a just energy transition pathway appropriate to their national context.
Jerry Ahadjie, the chief minerals officer of the African Natural Resource Management and Investment Centre, presented some of the latest findings of the centre’s reports on the potential of green minerals in Africa, and specifically in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He called on African countries to develop a homegrown strategy to anchor the Africa mining vision to optimise benefits from the battery and electric vehicle value chain.
“Battery precursor production and two and three-wheel electric vehicles are Africa’s low-hanging fruit,” he said.
Marit Kitaw, the interim director of the African Union’s African Minerals Development Corporation, pointed out how timely this webinar was in light of the energy revolution and net-zero carbon ambitions.
Mineral-based industrialisation in Africa is critical, she said.
“For Africa to develop, we have to industrialise.”
She further stressed that policy was critical for quickly making this ambition real, adding that green minerals require bold industrial policies and policies to create local demand.
Kwasi Ampofo, the head of Metals at Bloomberg NEF, reiterated the real opportunity despite current drawbacks.
“There is an opportunity for Africa, even though currently there is no cell manufacturing capacity on the continent today.”
But Africa’s central location has many advantages, especially the African Continental Free Trade Area.
He reiterated that policies are needed to create demand for battery and electric vehicle products, taking Europe as an example.
International Energy Agency Africa programme manager Arnaud Rouget presented some findings of work on green minerals, pointing out that the demand for critical minerals (including lithium, cobalt and nickel) will increase six-fold by 2040, as the world pursues its net-zero ambitions.
Demitta Gyang, the senior advisor on customs and trade facilitation from the AfCFTA Secretariat, explained how the AfCFTA agreement itself seeks to facilitate intra-African trade, from which the battery and electric vehicle value chain could benefit.
“The agreement provides for a better business environment, by ensuring that bureaucratic bottlenecks and time and cost are reduced as goods move within the continent.”
She further highlighted aspects of the agreement that support industrialisation and trading among African countries and the secretariat’s commitment to facilitating trade by eliminating non-tariff barriers.
“The secretariat is facilitating connectivity between the border crossings and harmonising border processes and procedures.”
Wale Shonibare, the director of the AfDB’s energy financial solutions, policy and regulation said there remains the need to mobilise finance to accelerate the development of battery storage and the electric vehicle value chain in Africa.
“We have to put financial vehicles in place because the cost of capital is a challenge,” he said.
He further advised the top African institutions — AfDB, AU and AfCFTA Secretariat — to mobilise and establish pan-African measures to harmonise standards, tax relief, and free trade to realise this ambition. – AfDB News
The webinar, which took place last month, was held under the theme, ‘Leveraging Africa’s green minerals for the energy transition: The role of regional integration and the AfCFTA’.
Representatives from the African Development Bank, the African Union African Minerals Development Corporation, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Bloomberg NEF, the International Energy Agency and independent experts affirmed Africa’s opportunities given its rich endowments in lithium, graphite, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earth minerals.
All of these are essential for building the global green economy of the future and they also comprise new market opportunities for net-zero transitions.
Vanessa Ushie, the acting director of the Bank’s African Natural Resource Management and Investment Centre, emphasised Africa’s potential that given Africa’s competitive advantage due to rich endowments in renewable energy and green mineral resources, many African countries have a unique opportunity to benefit from low-carbon development and a just energy transition pathway appropriate to their national context.
Jerry Ahadjie, the chief minerals officer of the African Natural Resource Management and Investment Centre, presented some of the latest findings of the centre’s reports on the potential of green minerals in Africa, and specifically in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He called on African countries to develop a homegrown strategy to anchor the Africa mining vision to optimise benefits from the battery and electric vehicle value chain.
“Battery precursor production and two and three-wheel electric vehicles are Africa’s low-hanging fruit,” he said.
Marit Kitaw, the interim director of the African Union’s African Minerals Development Corporation, pointed out how timely this webinar was in light of the energy revolution and net-zero carbon ambitions.
Mineral-based industrialisation in Africa is critical, she said.
“For Africa to develop, we have to industrialise.”
She further stressed that policy was critical for quickly making this ambition real, adding that green minerals require bold industrial policies and policies to create local demand.
Kwasi Ampofo, the head of Metals at Bloomberg NEF, reiterated the real opportunity despite current drawbacks.
“There is an opportunity for Africa, even though currently there is no cell manufacturing capacity on the continent today.”
But Africa’s central location has many advantages, especially the African Continental Free Trade Area.
He reiterated that policies are needed to create demand for battery and electric vehicle products, taking Europe as an example.
International Energy Agency Africa programme manager Arnaud Rouget presented some findings of work on green minerals, pointing out that the demand for critical minerals (including lithium, cobalt and nickel) will increase six-fold by 2040, as the world pursues its net-zero ambitions.
Demitta Gyang, the senior advisor on customs and trade facilitation from the AfCFTA Secretariat, explained how the AfCFTA agreement itself seeks to facilitate intra-African trade, from which the battery and electric vehicle value chain could benefit.
“The agreement provides for a better business environment, by ensuring that bureaucratic bottlenecks and time and cost are reduced as goods move within the continent.”
She further highlighted aspects of the agreement that support industrialisation and trading among African countries and the secretariat’s commitment to facilitating trade by eliminating non-tariff barriers.
“The secretariat is facilitating connectivity between the border crossings and harmonising border processes and procedures.”
Wale Shonibare, the director of the AfDB’s energy financial solutions, policy and regulation said there remains the need to mobilise finance to accelerate the development of battery storage and the electric vehicle value chain in Africa.
“We have to put financial vehicles in place because the cost of capital is a challenge,” he said.
He further advised the top African institutions — AfDB, AU and AfCFTA Secretariat — to mobilise and establish pan-African measures to harmonise standards, tax relief, and free trade to realise this ambition.
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