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The CMOC Group Limited, the world’s largest producer of cobalt, has caused serious environmental and public health damage in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a new report.
The company’s mining operations have polluted the air, violated national environmental laws, and displaced more than 12,000 people living near its facilities, it added.
The report, Toxic Transition: How the world's largest cobalt producer has allegedly poisoned communities for years focuses on the company’s operations at the Tenke Fungurume mine, particularly a massive copper-cobalt processing facility built in 2023. This plant, often referred to as the “30k plant,” is one of the largest cobalt processing complexes in the world. This plant has a daily processing capacity of 30,000 tons, allowing Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) to double its daily copper-cobalt ore processing capacity (from 27,000 tons to 57,000 tons).
The 30k plant is a few kilometers from thousands of homes in Fungurume town.
Since 2023, local communities and civil society groups have reported severe health problems, including persistent nosebleeds, coughing up blood, respiratory illnesses, and pregnancy complications such as stillbirths. CMOC, through its subsidiary Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM), has denied that its operations caused environmental pollution or health impacts.
A three-year investigation conducted by the Environmental Investigation Agency US (EIA), a non-profit organization, in collaboration with the Congolese organisation PremiCongo, an environmental non-profit organisation links these health issues to the expansion of the Tenke Fungurume mining complex. Researchers analysed more than 1,200 medical records from local health facilities, conducted independent air quality monitoring, and interviewed workers, community members, and individuals familiar with the company’s operations.
These medical records indicate that respiratory problems and other severe symptoms have become increasingly common since the plant began operating.
In addition to medical data, independent air monitoring conducted between September 2024 and January 2025 found sulphur dioxide (SO2) concentrations exceeding international safety standards.
Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is a toxic gas released during the processing of copper-cobalt ore and is known to cause respiratory inflammation, asthma aggravation, and other serious health effects.
Witnesses and workers interviewed during the investigation also claimed that large volumes of SO2 were periodically released and that machinery often continued running even after alarms warned of dangerous gas levels.
These findings contradict CMOC’s public statement about the lack of evidence regarding the serious health crisis experienced by communities, the SO2 pollution and the alleged responsibility of the company.
The report highlighted the broader context behind the crisis - the rapid global demand for cobalt driven by the electric vehicle (EV) boom. Much of the cobalt produced at Tenke Fungurume is exported to China and Europe for lithium-ion battery manufacturing. Supply chain analysis indicates that this cobalt is used by major automakers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Volkswagen in their EV production.
Cobalt is a key component in lithium-ion batteries used in EVs and other clean energy technologies. In 2024, approximately 43 per cent of global cobalt demand came from the EV industry. Nearly half of the world’s cobalt production now comes from CMOC’s operations in the DRC.
The report raised concerns about the effectiveness of environmental certification systems. In June 2024, the Tenke Fungurume mine became the first African mine and the first Chinese-owned mine to receive the Copper Mark, an environmental and social governance (ESG) certification.
However, the investigators argued that their findings challenge the credibility of this certification, which concluded that the site met all applicable environmental and social criteria.
