Freyr Battery, a Norway-based developer of next-generation battery cell production capacity, has joined the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA) to help the industry transition away from fossil fuels and improve artisanal mining.

The company described the FCA as a "multi-stakeholder action platform" committed to developing a responsible and fair supply of artisanally mined cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Specifically, the FCA focuses on economic diversification, improving worker conditions at mine sites, and supporting children's rights, it said. 

Tom Einar Jensen, chief executive officer of Freyr Battery, said the global economy is "undergoing a major energy transition" from fossil fuels to battery-powered technology.

Jensen explained that cobalt is one of the "essential components" in battery production. He said the company is "focused on the sustainable supply of cobalt" to support the production of "clean, low-cost, and low-carbon battery cells for a better planet."

"This alliance is an important arena for us to drive impact by investing in empowering the people working in the artisanal mines, as well as the communities around them," Jensen said.

FCA executive director Assheton Carter said Freyr Battery had recognised the legitimacy of cobalt from "responsible artisanal mining operations" and committed to improving conditions at artisanal mines in the DRC.