Lubumbashi, DRC, 22 April 2022 (ECA) – The Centre of Excellence for Advanced Battery Research was officially launched on 22 April 2002 in Lubumbashi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by DRC’s minister of Industry, Julien Paluku Kahongya in the presence of his counterparts from the ministries of Higher and University Education, Muhindo Nzangi Butondo; Scientific Research, José Mpanda; Mines, Antoinette N’samba; and the Governor of the Haut-Katanga, Jacques Kyabula.
The launch ceremony organised by the University of Lubumbashi (UNILU) in collaboration with Steinbeis Global Institute (SGIT), which is part of the Steinbeis University in Germany, with support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
In his keynote address, DRC’s minister of industry, Paluku Kahongya, underscored the leadership role played by President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi of the DRC as the first champion of the initiative. He promised to quickly accredit laboratories of the polytechnic schools in the University of Lubumbashi and direct some of the mining certification activities to the Labs as part of the innovative financing strategy for the training, research, and innovation ambitions of the Centre of Excellence.
“This great ambitious project aims not only to capture a significant share of the world market for electric cars valued at more than 8 trillion US dollars but also to help the DRC become the leading producer of electric batteries by 2030-2040, as it is, today, the world's leading producer of cobalt”, the minister emphasised.
On his part, Mr. Mpanda said a team from the center and some technical ministries will undertake a trip to Steinbeis Institute to learn from different initiatives and innovations supported by the Institute.
Messor Gilbert Kishiba, Chancellor of the University of Lubumbashi, emphasised the readiness of his institution through its polytechnic schools and related laboratories and pilot plant, to host the Centre of Excellence on Battery Skills, underlining the benefits of it being a regional node for science, technology and innovations at national and regional levels.
He thanked ECA and other partners for trusting his university in the process of developing the center and stated that common challenges related to the African Copperbelt mining economy can only be tackled through joint initiatives. M. Kishiba saluted the leadership and dynamism of the DRC Ministry of Higher Education as it promotes student Messionalization as the new way of developing skills for industrial and overall economic development in the DRC.
Meanwhile, a representative of the government of the Republic of Zambia, Consul General to the DR Congo in Lubumbashi, Mr Felix Siame, who delivered a speech on behalf of Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Mr. Chipoka Mulenga, observed that the Centre of Excellence has come at an opportune time when global dynamics are shifting towards a decarbonized world and renewable energy. This presents an opportunity for the DRC, Zambia and Africa to effectively harness their strategic battery minerals and break the cycle stemming from excessive dependence on the export of natural resources.
“Zambia remains committed to working with the DRC to ensure that the economic transformation we aspire for our citizenry through the exploitation of our vast mineral resources is met” Mr. Chipoka added.
During the launch, Dr Geshome Mwandila who read a speech on behalf of the Copperbelt University (CBU) Vice-Chancellor, Messor Paul Chisale, said the university was grateful to President Tshisekedi and his Zambian counterpart, President Hakainde Hichilema, for availing the opportunity to partner with the University of Lubumbashi Polytechnic in battery research and innovation.
“The importance of batteries as an alternative energy resource in this era of frequent occurrence of climate change effects is critical. As such, this is smart initiative to begin producing and exporting Electric Vehicle batteries rather than exporting the minerals is timely”, he emphasised.
In his remarks, Director a.i. for ECA Sub-Regional Office for Central Africa (ECA SRO-CA), Mr. Jean Luc Mastaki observed that the DRC is at the heart of the current energy transition though which the world is trying to move far from the fossil energy. With its huge reserves in cobalt and other battery-related minerals, the country is engaged in producing battery precursors following the DRC Zambia business forum held in Kinshasa in November 2021.
“If we have to promote an inclusive business model for the battery value chain in the DRC and Zambia, we need to strengthen the employability of our youth. The African Center of Excellence on Battery Skills will, therefore, allow us to train a cohort of young people who will be working for the battery precursors plant,” said Mr. Mastaki.
The ECA director noted that the centre “has to be multidisciplinary and focus on current and future types of batteries, keeping the grasp on innovation."
The launch of the excellence centre was preceded by a series of presentations by mining companies on skills Miles for the battery value chain, dialogue between education Institutions and the Battery Value-Chain Industrialists, a guided tour of the University of Lubumbashi (UNLIU) and its faculty of polytechnics, the R&D laboratories among others.
The launch was attended by ministers from DRC and relevant public institutions, Universities and Messional training institutions (TEVET): UNILU, SGIT, UNIKIN, UNZA, CBU, key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors in DRC and Zambia among others.
Issued by:
The Sub-Regional Office for Central Africa (ECA-SRO-CA)
UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Yaounde, Cameroon
Contacts for further information:
Mr. Jean-Marc Kilolo| Economic Affairs officer| UNECA SRO-CA|
Email: jean-marc.kilolo@un.org
Web: https://www.uneca.org/central-africa
Media Contacts:
Mr. Bedson Nyoni | Senior Information Management Assistant | UNECA SRO-SA
Email: nyonib@un.org