On Wednesday, in Jorf Lasfar, COBCO inaugurated Morocco’s first industrial unit dedicated to the production of electric battery materials, marking a significant strategic step that strengthens Morocco’s position as a regional hub for clean technologies and supports the global energy transition.
Strategic Partnership to Boost National Industry
This industrial unit is the result of a strategic partnership between Al Mada, a Moroccan investment fund with a pan-African scope committed to sustainable economic and social development, and CNGR, a global leader in battery materials manufacturing. This collaboration reflects Morocco’s commitment to valorizing its national natural resources—such as phosphate, cobalt, and manganese—and locally converting them into strategic components for electric vehicle batteries and stationary energy storage.
Advanced Production and Cutting-Edge Technology
During the inauguration, COBCO announced the launch of its first production lines specialized in primary cathode materials (pCAM) using nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) technology, targeting an annual production capacity of 120,000 tons. Additionally, the company plans to produce lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cathodes with a capacity of 60,000 tons per year, showcasing significant investment and advanced technology.
Massive Investment and Economic Impact
The industrial unit spans over 238 hectares, with a total investment of 20 billion Moroccan dirhams (approximately 2 billion USD). The plant’s production capacity is expected to reach 70 gigawatt-hours annually, sufficient to equip nearly one million electric vehicles each year.
Enhancing Local Value Chain and Sustainability
COBCO covers the entire value chain from upstream to downstream, focusing on refining strategic metals and recycling black mass—the residue from grinding end-of-life batteries—to extract vital metals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, with a processing capacity of 30,000 tons per year. The company’s environmental strategy is based on circular economy principles, aiming to use 80% green Moroccan energy by 2025 and 100% by the end of 2026, alongside advanced water treatment and recycling systems.
Job Creation and Skills Development
The construction phase generated 5,000 jobs, while the plant will create 1,800 qualified direct jobs and an additional 1,800 indirect jobs in handling, logistics, services, and local infrastructure. The project also involves partnerships with educational institutions to develop industrial skills and scientific research.
Strategic Location and Competitive Advantages
The project benefits from Morocco’s strategic geographic location, free trade agreements with the European Union and the United States, and logistical proximity to European markets, enhancing its competitiveness and positioning Morocco as a leading regional energy and industrial platform serving the global energy transition.
Summary:
The launch of COBCO’s industrial unit marks a qualitative leap for Moroccan industry, reinforcing Morocco’s role as a regional and global player in electric battery manufacturing, with a clear commitment to environmental sustainability and inclusive economic and social development.