Automakers have been stepping up efforts to lock in supplies of nickel and copper.

Anglo will provide technology expertise to the Crawford project in Ontario.

Production of the battery material in the Southeast Asian country surged past others including Russia and Australia.

Microsoft executives visited an artisanal cobalt mine in Democratic Republic of Congo in December.

“The goal is to discover new deposits that can be the subject of calls for bids, with a view to concluding mutually profitable public-private partnerships,” Felix Tshisekedi said.

Currently, the company produces 200,000 tonnes of copper and 25,000 tonnes of cobalt annually at the mines across the central African copper belt.

Recharge Industries has been selected as the preferred bidder for the majority of the insolvent battery firm’s business and assets.

Congo's state mining company plans to explore for minerals including lithium, tin, and rare earths.