Managem’s Cobalt Plant: A Head Start for Morocco In the Green Industry

Rabat – Morocco’s first cobalt plant in Marrakech is a welcome and significant step for the country in the light of the rising global demand for electric vehicles, says renowned Moroccan scientist Rachid Yazami.

Yazami, who is behind the ground-breaking development of graphite anode for lithium-ion batteries, commented on the news of Morocco’s establishment of a cobalt plant in an interview this week with a Moroccan television channel.

While the technology used in the recycling of cobalt was discovered 20 years ago, he pointed out, the industry has in recent years gained significant momentum on the backdrop of the rising concern over raw material scarcity.

The news of the Glenor-Managem cobalt recycling plant is not a surprise as 25% to 30% of all batteries will be made of recycled material, Yazami explained.

The Moroccan mining company Managem had previously announced locking a deal with Glenore, a global leader in commodities, to open a cobalt plant in Guemssa, 37 kilometers from Marrakech.

The launch of the project is pending a feasibility study that is due to conclude before the end of the first quarter of 2022. The study aims to evaluate the profitability of the project and the plant’s carbon footprint, Managem said in a statement.

The company aims to produce cobalt from recycled battery material, added the statement.

Given its importance in building batteries for electric vehicles, demand for cobalt is expected to spike in the coming year as electric vehicles become more mainstream.

In a statement, Glencore’s Head Cobalt Trader stated that with this cooperation, his company aims “to play a pivotal role” in decarbonizing the energy sector and “delivering the electric vehicle revolution.”

He further underscored the importance of the project in helping Glennore reach its net-zero emissions goal by 2050.

Electric vehicle manufacturers work power car vehicles with a blend of cobalt and lithium. The blend yields high energy retention capacity and is lightweight for batteries.

Morocco and Canada are by far the only producers of pure cobalt, with Morocco being the 12-largest cobalt exporter globally.

With its substantial reserve of cobalt, the North African country has the potential to play a major role in the global transition from fossil fuel.

In 2020, Morocco signed a cobalt extraction agreement with German luxury manufacturer BMW. With the deal, BMW moved cobalt extraction operations from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to a supply deal with Managem.

Despite having the world’s largest reserves of cobalt, reports of child labor in cobalt mines hinder the DRC’s reputation.