Renewable energy sourcing forum Re|Source acknowledges the progress made by electric car company Tesla in implementing the pilot project which aims to trace responsibly-sourced cobalt across its supply chain.
Re|Source, which focuses on solutions to trace responsibly produced cobalt from the mine to the electric vehicle (EV), said on August 12 that Tesla has been a key partner in designing and implementing the solution, which was officially announced in May this year, across its value chain since 2019.
The pilot is being tested in real operating conditions, from upstream cobalt production facilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to downstream EV productions sites.
Multiple on-site pilots have already started in the DRC and Europe, and plans are in place to start further pilots in Asia and the US later this year.
The final pilot across the entire Tesla supply chain is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of this year. The launch of the final industry solution is expected in 2022 and is being supported by boutique blockchain technology studio Kryha.
The founding members of Re|Source, which include China Molybdenum Company, Eurasian Resources Group and Glencore, are joined by pilot partners Umicore and other supply chain participants.
The solution is also being advised by a growing number of industry associates including Norilsk Nickel and Johnson Matthey.
The Responsible Minerals Initiative and The Cobalt Institute have also joined Re|Source as strategic advisers, supporting the implementation of world-class best practice standards across the pilot.