The DRC is stepping up its copper and cobalt refining ambitions.
The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has signed a deal with mineral processing company Buenassa Resources to fund a pre-feasibility study for a copper and cobalt refinery.
The DRC is among a number of mining economies on the continent actively pursuing minerals beneficiation or processing of their mineral wealth before it is exported. Other countries include South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
The Minerals Council South Africa has gone on record saying it supports beneficiation ‘where the economics make sense’.
Ghana on the other hand is aggressively pursuing beneficiation, and has for example banned the export of raw lithium and is contemplating following the same route with manganese, bauxite and iron ore.
The site of the DRC’s new proposed new refinery is in Lulaba Province and it is expected to produce copper and cobalt products for industries including energy, construction, artificial intelligence and defence.
‘Copper and cobalt are two of the most vital minerals to ensuring the US remains a global leader in the technology and defense sectors,’ said Thomas R Hardy, the deputy director of the USTDA. ‘By partnering with Buenassa, we are expanding access for American companies to critical minerals supply chains and deepening relations with our counterparts in the DRC.’
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The study will assess potential feedstock suppliers, develop a technical design for the refinery and set the economic and financial parameters required for its development and long-term viability.
The DRC holds the world’s largest cobalt deposits and accounts for 70% of global supply. It is Africa’s largest copper producer, and the second-largest after Chile.
20 October 2026
Image: Unsplash
