According to the same source, Managem Group plans to invest in the construction of a future factory located within the Guemassa industrial complex in Morocco in order to transform cobalt ore into cobalt sulphate. Through this partnership, Renault Group will ensure a significant supply, representing an annual battery production capacity of up to 15 GWh, it is claimed.
“This direct cooperation between a car manufacturer and a mining player makes it possible to guarantee a long-term traceability system for the supply chain of cobalt for batteries. It also aims to reduce the impact on the environment, in particular thanks to the know-how of Managem Group whose energy efficiency of the installations results in the optimization of consumption and the increasing use of green energies, of which more than 80% of wind origin”, can we read in the press release.
This agreement notably includes the possibility for Managem Group, Renault Group and its Alliance partners to develop potential cooperation on the supply of manganese and copper sulphate, as well as on the recycling of battery materials in short loops.
In resonance with the creation of the industrial center dedicated to the Renault ElectriCity electric vehicle, Renault Group is positioning itself as a key player in the deployment of more efficient, low-carbon and reusable batteries. The Group aims to reduce the carbon footprint of its batteries by 20% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030, compared to 2020.
Combined with the partnership with Vulcan to secure low-carbon lithium and Terrafame for low-carbon nickel sulphate, this agreement marks a new step towards reducing the environmental footprint of electric vehicles and the Group’s objective of carbon neutrality. in Europe by 2040, we promise.
The signing of the agreement took place today in the presence of Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Morocco, Gianluca De Ficchy, Purchasing Director of the Alliance and Managing Director of the Alliance Purchasing Organization (APO), Imad Toumi Chairman and CEO of Managem Group and Mohamed Bachiri, CEO of Renault Group Morocco.
On this occasion, the Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, declared that: “a new stage in the strategic partnership between Morocco and Renault Group begins today with this agreement on the development of our mining resources to support the development of electric mobility and the in-depth integration of the national automotive industrial platform”.
And to add: “The Moroccan automotive industry is accelerating its transition to electrification with sustainable and efficient Moroccan cobalt sourcing for electric batteries. At the same time, we are working to position Morocco as a producer of electric batteries and a key player in sustainable mobility”.
For his part, Gianluca De Ficchy, Alliance Purchasing Director and Managing Director of the Alliance Purchasing Organization (APO), added: “We are very happy to partner with Managem Group, a recognized mining player in terms of preservation resources thanks to its unique production and processing methods and to contribute in this way to the economic, social and environmental development of the automotive industry in Morocco. This agreement is a further step towards achieving the objective of reducing the carbon footprint of our batteries and achieving carbon neutrality for the group in Europe by 2040, and worldwide by 2050. Traceability and decarbonization of the raw materials of our batteries are crucial issues for electric mobility and the energy transition. We thus ensure a supply closer to our manufacturing ecosystem of electric batteries in Europe and at low carbon”.