This pioneering project is part of the first phase of its integrated production complex for nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) precursor cathodes (pCAM) in Jorf Lasfar, Morocco.
Produced from critical metals, notably nickel, cobalt and manganese, these materials are essential components for batteries used in electric vehicles and stationary energy storage, according to a press release by COBCO.
Incorporated under Moroccan law, the company is created of a strategic partnership between AL MADA, a Moroccan pan-African investment fund, and CNGR Advanced Materials, a global leader in battery materials.
This industrial platform, spanning more than 200 hectares, represents a strategic milestone for the development of Morocco’s clean-technology industry.
This key step marks not only the launch of a pioneering project outside Asia but also catalyzes the emergence of a Moroccan ecosystem dedicated to the strategic electric battery industry, serving the MENA, European, and United States markets.
With this first strategic industrial base, Morocco affirms its ambition to become a key player in global green-technology value chains, says the press release, stressing that COBCO embodies the vision that a next-generation industry is competitive, integrated, sustainable and resolutely focused on the needs of future markets.
The total committed investment is projected to reach several billion dirhams, spread over three complementary industrial projects, with a combined capacity equivalent to 70 GWh per year, enough to equip nearly one million electric vehicles annually.
The COBCO industrial production complex will include 120,000 tons per year of NMC precursor production capacity, 60,000 tons per year of LFP (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) cathode production capacity, to be deployed as soon as a regional LFP battery ecosystem emerges.
It will also include units for refining critical metals and recycling black mass, with a processing capacity exceeding 60,000 tons per year, thereby maximizing local integration and material circularity.
Through its strategic positioning, COBCO bolsters Morocco’s industrial sovereignty and contributes to consolidating its automotive ecosystem in the face of the electric transition. More than 5,000 jobs will be mobilized during the construction phase, with 1,800 direct skilled jobs and 1,800 indirect jobs to be generated in the long term.
The project places a strong emphasis on training, skills transfer, and the emergence of national expertise in battery-related professions, in partnership with Moroccan universities and technology partners.
COBCO is part of an international context of value chain enhancement, marked by evolving regulatory requirements (including the European carbon tax) and the pursuit of competitive, decarbonized, and market-proximate production solutions.
From its inception, COBCO establishes itself as a credible and competitive player, leveraging the respective strengths of its two partners, AL MADA and CNGR Advanced Materials, as well as Morocco’s advantages, namely an attractive industrial environment, low-cost green energy, proximity to Europe and the United States, world-class mineral deposits (phosphate, cobalt, copper, manganese), and an extensive network of free trade agreements.
The COBCO Board of Directors has commended the rapid construction and ramp-up of the plant, which was completed in less than a year since the start of construction, marking a major industrial milestone, says the same source.
COBCO thus demonstrates that Morocco’s environment can host and develop a cutting-edge, globally competitive, and fully locally integrated technology sector in record time.
COBCO powers progress with breakthrough technical solutions that propel customers ahead of the competition in this innovation-driven industry. The company’s focus on process and manufacturing excellence relentlessly hones cost competitiveness, while prioritizing sustainable ecosystems.
Designed from the outset as a low-carbon site, COBCO is implementing an ambitious environmental strategy: responsible processes, progressive use of Moroccan green energy (80 % in 2025, 100 % by end-2026), desalinated water, industrial recycling, and projects for certification to international ISO standards (14064, 14044 and 50001). The ESG roadmap will also include participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project and alignment with SBTi targets.
Editorial team/le7tv