Morocco has officially entered the global electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain with the inauguration of COBCO’s lithium-ion battery material plant in Jorf Lasfar, south of Casablanca. The launch, held on June 25, marks a major milestone in the country’s industrial strategy to become a regional hub for clean mobility technologies.
The COBCO plant, a joint venture between Morocco’s Al Mada investment fund and China’s CNGR Advanced Materials, is the first industrial unit in the country dedicated to producing precursor materials for EV battery cathodes.
These materials – based on nickel, manganese, and cobalt (NMC)-are essential for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
With an investment of nearly 20 billion dirhams (approximately $2 billion USD), the facility spans over 200 hectares and includes integrated units for refining critical metals and recycling battery waste.
This vertical integration reduces Morocco’s dependence on imports and positions it as a sustainable and competitive player in the global battery market.
It is actually part of a broader strategy to position Morocco as a hub for the EV battery industry. The country aims at a local EV battery sourcing rate of 70% and 107,000 electric vehicles annually by the end of 2025.
Industry minister Ryad Mezzour stated that Morocco is on track to become one of only five countries globally with a fully integrated EV battery production chain, from raw materials to battery cells.
Capitalizing on available raw materials, notably phosphates, copper and cobalt, Morocco also builds on its trade deals, skilled work force and expanding automotive sector to attract a growing number of EV battery manufacturers.
Besides Cobco, the Moroccan government agreed in 2024 with China’s Hailiang and Shinzoom to set up two separate plants to produce copper and anodes respectively for a combined total nearing 1 billion dollars in Tanger Tech.
The same year, BTR New Material Group also signed a deal with the Moroccan government to set up a cathodes plant, critical to EV battery manufacturing.
