Latest Development
COBCO, a joint venture between Moroccan investment fund Al Mada and China’s CNGR Advanced Materials, inaugurated a cathode precursor plant at Jorf Lasfar in June 2025 with initial capacity of 40,000 tonnes/year of nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) precursor. The project has signed a supply agreement with Belgian materials group Umicore and plans to expand to 120,000 tonnes/year of NMC precursor plus 60,000 tonnes/year of LFP cathode material, alongside critical-mineral refining and battery-recycling (black mass) facilities — making it one of the more advanced pieces of Morocco’s emerging integrated battery-materials cluster.
Project Details
Project TypeCathode Precursor Manufacturing Plant
Project OwnerCOBCO (JV of Al Mada and CNGR Advanced Materials)
Project SponsorAl Mada; CNGR Advanced Materials
Project DeveloperCOBCO
Financing InstitutionAl Mada; CNGR Advanced Materials (corporate financing)
Actual Completion2025-06
Current PhaseOperational
Funding StatusFunded (Phase 1 operating)
Key Issues / Risks
Full capital cost and financing structure not disclosed in available reporting; expansion timeline to 120,000t/yr NMC + 60,000t/yr LFP not yet confirmed with firm dates
Latest Development (Detail)
Plant inaugurated and producing 40,000 t/yr of NMC cathode precursor as of June 2025, with a signed Umicore offtake agreement
What Happens Next
Watch for confirmed timeline on the planned expansion to 120,000t/yr NMC precursor, 60,000t/yr LFP cathode material, and mineral-refining/recycling capacity
Commercial Opportunity
Precursor materials trade, refining/recycling (black mass) capacity build-out, offtake agreements with additional battery makers
Stakeholder Intelligence
Key Organizations / Companies InvolvedAl Mada; CNGR Advanced Materials; Umicore (offtake); Government of Morocco
Capital & Financing Intelligence
Funding / Amount CommittedUSD
Funding SourceAl Mada / CNGR Advanced Materials corporate financing
Procurement & Contract Outlook
Expected Next MilestonePlant inauguration and start of NMC precursor production (2025-06)
Commercial Opportunity Intelligence
Financing / Capital OpportunityNot disclosed in available sources
Potential BeneficiariesAl Mada, CNGR Advanced Materials, Umicore, Moroccan state (jobs, FDI, industrial cluster development)
Opportunity SignalStrong -- directly linked to the Morocco FTZ/investment incentive policy record
Commercial ReadinessOperational (Phase 1)
Source & Verification Trail
Last Verified2026-08-10
Source(s)https://www.ecofinagency.com/news-infrastructures/2807-57771-china-morocco-and-volkswagen-what-we-know-about-africas-first-integrated-battery-gigafactory
Source Date2026-07-28