ArrowArtboardCreated with Sketch.Title ChevronTitle ChevronIcon FacebookIcon LinkedinIcon Mail ContactPath LayerIcon MailPositive ArrowIcon Print
Commodities

Africa's Copperbelt sets off investment race for EV metals

U.S. startup uses AI to locate deposits while Japan expands geological surveys

A truck carries copper ore out of a mine in Zambia. The Central African country is the world's ninth-largest producer of the metal.   © Reuters

TOKYO -- Businesses from the U.S., Japan and Europe are moving to tap mineral reserves in Central Africa, using the latest technologies to locate critical electric vehicle materials, as China currently dominates development on the continent.

The so-called Copperbelt spans across the border of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is one of the world's leading mining regions. Copper and cobalt, also found in the region, are used to make EV batteries.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored Content This content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.

Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century.

Celebrate our next chapter
Free access for everyone - Sep. 30

Find out more