Benedikt Sobotka (CEO of ERG) was interviewed by CNBC Africa on COVID-19’s impact on business, as well as how demand for battery metals has fared during global lockdowns.
“We have seen the impact of the pandemic probably earlier than other companies or other sectors, as China is such an important market for us. I would say that on our customer side, I think the worst is probably over. On our supply side, our own operations, we have had to take many initiatives and measures to keep our employees safe. Overall, as a company, we have weathered the storm very well and we are quite proud of that. We are now seeing a worldwide recovery and I am quite optimistic,” Benedikt noted.
Benedikt mentioned that Metalkol RTR has recently produced its first cobalt as part of its Phase II ramp-up, despite challenges associated with the supply chain, logistics and lockdowns.
“We see that the overall macroeconomic impact on copper has been significant, you see that in the price too, which has already recovered to a significant extent. We also believe that part of the COVID crisis is going to increase the demand for copper, as it is the preferred material to plate surfaces against virus contamination and against infectious diseases.”
