Africa’s critical minerals could play bigger role in U.S. energy transition

Senior Global Correspondent

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<header><h1>Africa’s critical minerals could play bigger role in U.S. energy transition</h1><a href="" rel="author"></a><span class="title"></span><time rel="pubdate" datetime="2023-11-08T00:00:00-05:00">Nov 8, 2023</time></header><p><span class="s3">The Biden administration’s new industrial policies to promote clean technology and build manufacturing at home </span><span class="s3">offer </span><span class="s3">African countries new </span><span class="s3">opp</span><span class="s3">ortunities to </span><span class="s3">boost </span><span class="s3">their </span><span class="s3">economies, </span><span class="s3">balance </span><span class="s3">China’s </span><span class="s3">growing </span><span class="s3">influence on the continent and bolster manufacturers</span><span class="s3"> in the United States</span><span class="s3">, according to recent <a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/10/02/how-can-african-countries-participate-in-u.s.-clean-energy-supply-chains-pub-90673" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. </span></p><p><span class="s3">Africa has received unparalleled </span><span class="s3">attention from China over the past two decades. China has turned to the continent </span><span class="s3">to fill</span> <span class="s3">an ever-greater share of its critical mineral needs as the Asian economic powerhouse has become the world’s dominant manufacturer of clean energy technologies, from solar panels to batteries </span><span class="s3">to</span> <span class="s3">electric vehicles.</span><span class="s3"> Meanwhile, U.S. imports from the region have stagnated.</span></p><p>Layered on top of these trends is growing concern over human rights in the region, as articulated by a top African climate leader in <a href="https://ciphernews.com/articles/african-energy-leader-calls-for-reality-check-on-minerals-extraction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this recent</a> Cipher story.</p><p><span class="s3">The</span> <span class="s3">Carnegie </span><span class="s3">researchers </span><span class="s3">suggest three ways </span><span class="s3">the U.S. could </span><span class="s3">counter this trend by </span><span class="s3">work</span><span class="s3">ing</span><span class="s3"> with African countries</span><span class="s3">.</span></p><p><span class="s3">First, the U.S. could partner with African countries to directly acquire the metals and minerals required for battery manufacturing. </span><span class="s3">The </span><span class="s3">U.S. mines virtually none of the </span><span class="s3">lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite needed </span><span class="s3">to make electric vehicles</span><span class="s3">. </span><span class="s3">Instead, </span><span class="s3">the U.S. </span><span class="s3">imports </span><span class="s3">from China </span><span class="s3">between half and all of the processed </span><span class="s3">minerals for more than </span><span class="s3">10</span> <span class="s3">of the </span><span class="s3">50</span> <span class="s3">minerals </span><span class="s3">the U.S. government designates as critical to the energy transition.</span></p><p><span class="s3">New</span><span class="s3"> U.S. incentives </span><span class="s3">under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act </span><span class="s3">push manufacturers </span><span class="s3">to source minerals domestically or from free </span><span class="s3">trade partner nations</span><span class="s3">, which</span> <span class="s3">don’t include African countries</span><span class="s3">.</span> <span class="s3">But </span><span class="s3">there are </span><span class="s3">exceptions and </span><span class="s3">additional programs</span><span class="s3">, such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act</span><span class="s3">,</span><span class="s3"> </span><span class="s3">can open the door for imports from Africa, the researchers say.</span> <span class="s3">Countries that m</span><span class="s3">ight </span><span class="s3">take advantage </span><span class="s3">of such initiatives </span><span class="s3">include </span><span class="s3">Ghana, Mali, Tanzania,</span><span class="s3"> Namibia, Zambia and South Africa. </span></p><p><span class="s3">Second, the </span><span class="s3">report argues African countries</span><span class="s3">, including Morocco, Namibia and South Africa,</span><span class="s3"> can boost research and development ties </span><span class="s3">with </span><span class="s3">the U.S. government and industry, especially in areas </span><span class="s3">like </span><span class="s3">the hydrogen industry</span> <span class="s3">to help grow their economies and expand energy access</span><span class="s3">.</span></p><p><span class="s3">Finally, </span><span class="s3">African countries could work with U.S. government </span><span class="s3">agencies</span><span class="s3">,</span><span class="s3"> such as the U.S. Geological Survey</span><span class="s3">, </span><span class="s3">to better map out where </span><span class="s3">critical minerals exist and how to </span><span class="s3">access </span><span class="s3">t</span><span class="s3">hem</span><span class="s3">, increasing global supplies</span><span class="s3">.</span></p>
Africa’s critical minerals could play bigger role in U.S. energy transition

by  - 

November 8, 2023


The Biden administration’s new industrial policies to promote clean technology and build manufacturing at home offer African countries new opportunities to boost their economies, balance China’s growing influence on the continent and bolster manufacturers in the United States, according to recent research from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. 
Africa has received unparalleled attention from China over the past two decades. China has turned to the continent to fill an ever-greater share of its critical mineral needs as the Asian economic powerhouse has become the world’s dominant manufacturer of clean energy technologies, from solar panels to batteries to electric vehicles. Meanwhile, U.S. imports from the region have stagnated.
Layered on top of these trends is growing concern over human rights in the region, as articulated by a top African climate leader in this recent Cipher story.
The Carnegie researchers suggest three ways the U.S. could counter this trend by working with African countries.
First, the U.S. could partner with African countries to directly acquire the metals and minerals required for battery manufacturing. The U.S. mines virtually none of the lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite needed to make electric vehicles. Instead, the U.S. imports from China between half and all of the processed minerals for more than 10 of the 50 minerals the U.S. government designates as critical to the energy transition.
New U.S. incentives under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act push manufacturers to source minerals domestically or from free trade partner nations, which don’t include African countries. But there are exceptions and additional programs, such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act, can open the door for imports from Africa, the researchers say. Countries that might take advantage of such initiatives include Ghana, Mali, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa. 
Second, the report argues African countries, including Morocco, Namibia and South Africa, can boost research and development ties with the U.S. government and industry, especially in areas like the hydrogen industry to help grow their economies and expand energy access.
Finally, African countries could work with U.S. government agencies, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, to better map out where critical minerals exist and how to access them, increasing global supplies.