IRuniverse held the 13th Battery Summit in Tokyo on March 17–18, occupying two floors at Bellesalle Onarimon Tower in Tokyo’s Minato Ward. This report (Part I) covers presentations delivered during the Resources & Policy session on the fourth floor in the first half of March 17, featuring speakers from Ukraine, Indonesia, China, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
■K66 Volodymyr (Vol) Berezhniy :Japan-U.S.-Europe-Ukraine Industrial Integration - Securing Allied Supply Chains for Rare Earth Magnets and Critical Materials
The first presentation was delivered online by Mr. Vol, a Ukrainian-born founder of the “K66 Project,” which aims to establish a comprehensive NdFeB magnet supply chain centered on allied countries. He said that since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, both demand for and capabilities of military technologies such as drones and robots have increased. He added that the need to build supply chains with reliable allies has also become more pronounced. In this context, he stated that developing rare earth supply chains has become important, as they are essential for the production of such technologies.
Mr. Vol proposed a supply chain model comprising “leadership — United States,” “system development — Japan,” “OEM — Europe,” and “demand — Ukraine.” He said the United States is suited to a leadership role due to its qualification standards, while Europe is suited to OEM production because manufacturing can be located close to demand. He also stated that Japan has the capability to establish long-term, stable frameworks without focusing solely on price, and called for its participation. Mr. Vol added that the greatest challenge in the rare earth industry lies in processing rather than mining.
■APNI Meidy Katrin Lengkey :Current Trends in Indonesia's Nickel Production
The second presentation was delivered by Ms. Meidy Katrin Lengkey, secretary general of the Indonesia Nickel Miners Association (APNI). She described Indonesia’s nickel industry as stable overall and noted that construction of new smelters is progressing. Indonesia has sought to shift from a raw material exporter to a manufacturing-oriented economy and banned exports of nickel ore in 2020.
Domestic ore production has also been gradually reduced through production quotas. She said that reducing output despite existing production capacity has been challenging. She added that, as downstream processing has expanded, ore shortages have emerged, leading to reliance on imports from countries such as the Philippines. She said the government has been working to maintain balance within the nickel industry.
She said production controls are intended to manage prices. Indonesia accounts for just under 70% of global nickel production, and output management can help limit price declines. Ms. Lengkey said nickel prices on the London Metal Exchange rose from about $15,000 per ton in 2025 to $17,750 in 2026 and attributed the increase in part to Indonesia’s production controls. She projected that prices could reach $20,000 by 2029. She also said Indonesia is considering establishing a domestic metals exchange in cooperation with the London Metal Exchange and the Shanghai Futures Exchange, with a target timeframe of around 2027 or 2028.
■SMM Jean Tang :Copper Market in China
The third presentation was delivered by Ms. Jean Tang, Commercial Director of Global Data & Intelligence at Shanghai Metals Market (SMM). She changed the topic from lithium, which had initially been scheduled, to copper foil, citing rising copper prices as an issue affecting the LFP battery industry.
Ms. Tang said demand for copper foil in China increased by 46% year on year in 2025, driven primarily by demand from LFP batteries. China relies on Taiwan for about 60% of its imported copper foil. Copper foil is also used in energy storage systems and artificial intelligence applications. She said the scale of China’s AI industry is projected to expand by about 40% year on year in 2026. She added that copper inventories could tighten and projected that China’s copper foil market would shift into a supply deficit from 2026, with demand exceeding available inventory.
During the question-and-answer session, Tang was asked about the demand outlook. She said demand driven by AI applications is expected to continue growing over the next five years.
■CTCPM Metallurgy Expert Egyul Mamoko :Legal Framework in the Mining Sector in DRC
The final presentations in the first half were delivered by two speakers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mr. Egyul Mamoko, a metallurgical expert at CTCPM, participated online, while Mr. Lukumwena Nsenda, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Japan, delivered remarks in person.
Mr. Mamoko provided an overview of the country. Located in central Africa, the Copperbelt runs across its territory. Major minerals include copper, cobalt, and coltan, a composite of tantalum and niobium. Copper and cobalt mines are concentrated in the southern region, while coltan mines are mainly in the eastern region. Copper production doubled between 2020 and 2025. Cobalt output slowed in 2025 following export restrictions introduced to stabilize prices, although production in 2024 had increased to about 2.5 times the 2020 level. Coltan production has remained relatively stable with some fluctuations.
Mr. Nsenda said, “First it was automobiles, then smartphones, and now electric vehicles have become destinations for metals supplied from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” He added, “Holding a smartphone means investing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” He also said, “There remain many undeveloped mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition, several million people are seeking employment in the mining sector.” He said Japan’s investment in the country is welcomed.
■Q&A with the four speakers participating on stage.
A question was raised regarding U.S. influence, particularly in relation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Indonesia. Mr. Nsenda said, “In 2025, our two governments concluded a strategic partnership, and I believe the United States will become involved in mining projects going forward.”
Ms. Lengkey said, “At present, there is no direct influence from the United States on Indonesia’s mining sector. If we speak of major powers, China’s influence is stronger, but we continuously assess which technologies, from the United States or China, are more effective.” In response to a subsequent question on nickel recycling, she said, “Nickel recycling is not currently carried out in Indonesia,” indicating that related activities are being undertaken by Chinese companies operating in the country.
A question was also directed to Mr. Vol of the K66 project regarding whether pricing considerations might lead participants to turn to China. Mr. Vol said, “Demand is sufficient, so overproduction will not occur, and prices within the supply chain can be stabilized.” He added, “Policy implementation is also important.” He also said, “We are considering involving allied countries such as Canada and utilizing scrap materials.”
Speakers were also asked about strengths beyond the minerals discussed. Responses included “tantalum” for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, “critical minerals, rare earths, and bauxite” for Indonesia, “global processing technology” for China, and “graphite and lithium” for Ukraine.
(Reported by IRuniverse, KureG, Translated by IRuniverse, Midori Fushimi)
