According to a BloombergNEF study published at the end of June, demand for rechargeable batteries between now and 2030 is expected to increase by more than 400%.
Even though these so-called ‘lithium-ion’ technologies are an essential part of the ‘low-carbon’ and digital transition, they also use large quantities of rare metals. In this respect, the DRC might find itself embroiled in a real ‘geological scandal’, at the centre of which are cobalt and coltan, of which the country holds almost all the world’s reserves.