Child labour and environmental damage – Tesla refers to cobalt from a controversial MineUm the raw material competing car manufacturers. The Swiss group Glencore is one of the winners. But in the past the Mine is a tricky one. Jorgos Brouzos0 comment Tesla founder Elon Musk: The company relies on the Swiss commodity giant, Glencore as a supplier. Photo: Reuters

The E-car manufacturer Tesla is growing rapidly. The company of Elon Musk, on raw materials. It is particularly important for cobalt. The silver-gray shiny metal is required for the rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries of the cars. As the Financial Times reports, will supply the Swiss commodity group Glencore in the future, the Tesla works in Berlin and Shanghai with 6000 tonnes of cobalt. Glencore has not commented on the message. Persons close to the company confirm the Deal.

The Zug-based commodities giant Glencore, the Tesla Deal plays into the cards. The company wants to be originated from the coal business independent. Glencore chief Ivan glasenberg speaks longer of them that the group will benefit from the Trend towards E-car. After the message, the share price of Glencore shot because even in the height.

children work in small mines

cobalt is, however, a delicate raw material. Because 60 percent of the global production originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country has around 50 percent of the world’s reserves. Glencore is the only conveyor from Europe, the Rest is in the hands of Chinese mining companies. This enjoy in the industry a good reputation. The Swiss commodities trader Trafigura has entered into with a local company, a cooperation, in order to sell cobalt, Dating sites from smaller production.

10 percent of the flow in the Congo come from the small-scale mining where the raw material is extracted manually. Child labor is widely used, the working conditions are miserable, and there is massive damage to the environment. The big car manufacturers want to but a clean supply chain. The clean Image of E-cars should not be through a dubious supply chain tainted.

The car and the battery manufacturer are not able to travel because of the Corona-crisis in the Congo, and the production location. Labels will assure you that your cobalt comes from a clean source. The German Federal Institute for Geosciences and natural resources (BGR) has launched a certification system for cobalt mines in the Congo. Glencore wants to leave soon from the Responsible
Minerals-Initiative control.

60 percent of cobalt come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A worker monitors a complex with cobalt chunks. Photo: AFP

it is Controversial but how Glencore came to the licenses in the Congo. In December 2017, the NGO Public Eye has to be refunded in case the Federal Prosecutor’s office a criminal complaint against the commodity giants. It should be in the award of mining rights to Embezzlement. The authorities in the United Kingdom and the United States have been Glencore on the Radar. Open is how it looks at the local office of the attorney General. A request has not been answered.

Because of its delivery capacity, Glencore is for the car industry, but Central: The cobalt mine of Glencore in the Katanga province to produce after the completion of about 30’000 tons of cobalt per year. Currently, the flow rate is at 26 000 tonnes of cobalt. The company expects the market until 2025, a demand of over 200’000 tons per year.

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