In 2030, Europe will not produce more than the equivalent of 30% of its strategic mineral needs for the electric batteries of the energy transition, such as lithium, cobalt or nickel, which it will be obliged to import widely, indicated Monday a report submitted to the French government.
“In general, dependency rates will remain high, even by 2030 across Europe: [seulement] 20 to 30% of the requirements “in nickel, lithium or cobalt necessary for batteries and electrical installations” could be produced by European suppliers “, declared to the press the French industrialist Philippe Varin, author of this report on the” securing the supply of mineral raw materials ”.
” The European Union [UE] is clearly behind China, which has taken 20 years “in controlling the entire supply chain of strategic minerals and metals in order to break out of dependence on fossil fuels,” Varin said. during a telephone interview with the press. Given the planned construction of 38 huge electric battery factories across the European Union, the risk of a shortage of critical materials to power them is therefore considered “worrying” by the author of the report.
However, for the EU, electric mobility, replacing heat engines, is crucial, “because transport emits 30% of greenhouse gases” in the 27 countries, he explained.
The European Union is clearly behind China, which is 20 years ahead
In the process, the French government immediately announced the mobilization of “an envelope of one billion euros” – 500 million in state aid, subsidies and repayable advances, and 500 million to constitute an investment fund – intended to “strengthen the resilience of the industrial fabric on metal supply chains”.
Mr. Varin, former president of France Industrie, the body which brings together all branches of French industry, was tasked with writing this assessment report last fall.