From 1 – 3 June 2022, ERG participated at DRC Mining Week, hosted in Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The event, which connected industry stakeholders within the country and region, was a stellar example of the spirit and collaboration that is propelling the mining industry into the future.
The DRC plays an integral role in the world’s green energy transition and forms a key part of our long-term international growth strategy. Events like the DRC Mining Week – where we can entrench relationships with our partners, suppliers and industry peers – lay the foundation for development enabled by more sustainable and responsible mining.”
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Patrice L’Huillier, Chief Operating Officer for ERG Africa, participated in three event sessions. The first was moderated by Laura Cornish, a leading mining journalist, who guided the discussion with panellists such as Jean-Felix Mupande, Managing Director of the Mining Cadastre and Uwe Näher, Chief Geological Officer at Sud South, on the exploration and investment opportunities in the DRC for junior miners.
In other sessions, Mr. L’Huillier discussed the performance of ERG’s assets in the DRC and outlined its operational expansion and exploration strategy which brings together the DRC’s mineral wealth, ERG’s mining expertise and trusted partners collaborating to meet the world’s demand for critical materials in a sustainable way.
ERG’s African delegation comprised regional leaders and team members based in the DRC including Sergei Verbitckii: Acting CEO; Patrice L’Huillier: Chief Operating Officer; Ian Hendry: Director of Projects; Xavier Therin: Frontier General Manager; Alexandra Schneider: Head of Communications; Thabani Mlilo: Head of SHS; Shavhani Tshinyani: Senior Electrical Engineer; Wiscort Banda: Senior Geologist; Olufemi Olubi: Exploration Manager; Cora Zongwe: CRMD & Human Rights Manager; and Oderick Nguza: Communications Assistant.
In addition to the ERG delegation present at the event, the strength and contribution of the entire ERG Africa team could be felt at our booth and on the event floor. The event materials created for the conference paid tribute to our teams in the DRC who are integral to our cobalt and copper operations.
ERG’s three cellphone charging stations shone a light on the individual contributions of our people – from the mine to the back office – and reminded attendees that it is not a company that mines the cobalt in their mobile technologies, but rather a group of committed ERG employees.
This concept was furthered at the ERG booth where key principles and philosophies which guide ERG were unpacked. Our aim was to demonstrate that operations and opportunities in the DRC are pursued to achieve collective success and are anchored in ERG’s vision, mission and values.
The event presented a much-needed opportunity for ERG and its collaborators – peers, regulators, suppliers, and civil society organisations – to pause and engage as the industry defines how it will responsibly meet critical demand for metals and minerals for decades to come.