Programme & Speakers

Global drive for critical minerals: securing cobalt supply for a resilient world

13-14 May 2024 / Sofitel Manhattan, New York, USA

12 May 2024Sofitel Manhattan / Skylark, New York, USA
13 May 2024Sofitel Manhattan, New York, USA
14 May 2024Sofitel Manhattan, New York, Usa

14:00 - 17:00

Registration

Sofitel Manhattan, 45 W 44th St, New York

18:30 - 21:30

Welcome Cocktail

Skylark, 200 W 39th St, New York

09:00 - 09:10

Opening remarks

Speakers

Dinah McLeod

Director General, Cobalt Institute

09:10 - 09:30

Welcome Address

Speakers

Jose W. Fernandez

Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, U.S. Department of State

09:30 - 09:50

Keynote Speech

Speakers

Septian Hario Seto

Deputy of Investment and Mining Coordination to the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investments of Republic of Indonesia

09:50 - 10:10

Keynote Speech

Speakers

Launch of Cobalt Market Report 2023

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence

Speakers

Harry Fisher

Senior Consultant, Benchmark Minerals Intelligence

10:40 - 12:00

Session 1: State of the cobalt market

Moderated by Kwasi Ampofo, Head of Metals and Mining, Bloomberg NEF

This session will review the cobalt market trends in 2023, examine the impact of geopolitical and industry developments, and look at the drivers for the market in 2024.

Speakers

Grace Asenov

Base & Energy Metals Editor - the Americas, Fastmarkets

Gregor Spilker

Director, Metals/Energy Research & Product Development, CME Group

Harry Fisher

Senior Consultant, Benchmark Minerals Intelligence

Kwasi Ampofo

Head of Metals and Mining, Bloomberg New Energy Finance

Xu Aidong

Chief Expert of Antaike /Advisor of CNIA Nickel Branch and Cobalt Branch

12:00 - 13:00

Lunch

13:00 - 14:15

Session 2: Cobalt in the US: achieving US critical minerals security of supply

Moderated by Dinah McLeod, Director General, Cobalt Institute

In an era marked by global resource challenges and geopolitical shifts, securing adequate supply of critical minerals, including cobalt, is crucial to the United States’ future economic, environmental, and technological resilience. What are the key factors that will help achieve security of cobalt supply and how quickly can this be done? What are the barriers to progress? In this session, we will be joined by policy and business experts to explore the key issues relating to security of cobalt supply.

Speakers

Abby Wulf

Head of the American Battery Materials Initiative, U.S. Department of Energy

Dinah McLeod

Director General, Cobalt Institute

Duncan T. Blount

Chief Executive Officer and Director, Chilean Cobalt Corp.

Duncan Wood

Vice President for Strategy & New Initiatives; Senior Advisor to the Mexico Institute, Wilson Center

Heather Smiles

Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development, Electra

14:15 - 14:45

Fireside Chat

Speakers

Dinah McLeod

Director General, Cobalt Institute

Marie-Chantal Kaninda

President of Glencore DRC, Chairman of the Board of Directors Kamoto Copper Company (KCC)

14:45 - 16:00

Session 3: DRC: stocktaking collaborative efforts on ASM Cobalt

IN PREPARATION FOR 2024 OECD FORUM ON RESPONSIBLE MINERAL SUPPLY CHAINS

Moderated by Susannah McLaren, Head of Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability, Cobalt Institute

Speakers

Éric Kalala

CEO, Entreprise Générale du Cobalt - Vice-President of the Chamber of Mines of DRC

Assheton Stewart Carter

Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor, Fair Cobalt Alliance

KaLeigh Long

CEO, Westwin Elements, Inc.

Louis Maréchal

Senior Advisor – Minerals and Extractives, OECD

Professeur Raphaël Matamba Jibikila

Coordinator, Cellule Technique de Coordination et de Planification Miniere (CTCPM), Minister of Mines, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Richard Robinson

Senior Minerals Advisor, USAID DRC

Susannah McLaren

Head of Responsible Sourcing & Sustainability, Cobalt Institute

16:00 - 16:30

Fireside chat & book signing session

Speakers

Ernest Scheyder

Journalist and author of "The War Below"

Marina Demidova

Head of Communications, Cobalt Institute

18:30 - 21:30

Gala Dinner

Dress code: cocktail / business formal
620 Loft & Garden, 620 5th Ave, New York

09:00 - 09:20

Expert presentation: Focus on China

Speakers

Dr Yanchen Wang

Director, Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) UK

09:20 - 10:35

Session 4: Cobalt value chain in North America: can supply meet demand?

Moderated by Marina Demidova, Head of Communications, Cobalt Institute

As the transition to a green economy is upending established value chains and cobalt demand is expected to increase, the US is assessing its capabilities to build up cobalt value chain domestically. This panel will look at cobalt mining and refining potential in US, look at partnerships the US can create along the way, and explore how cobalt can be a key ingredient in automotive and defence sectors.