Four mega-factories for electric batteries are to be built in France, but raw materials, 80% of which come from non-European countries, could be lacking by 2030, according to a report by the European Court of Auditors.
Four gigafactories are planned in France, and around fifty others in Europe. Battery production mega-factory projects are springing up like mushrooms. However, Europe risks losing the race against China and the United States to become a world leader in this field. Indeed, in a report, the European Court of Auditors warns of a major issue, that of the raw materials necessary for the manufacture of batteries.
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Lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese: these metals are essential and 80% come from non-European countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Australia, China and Canada. These countries can decide to reduce or even stop supplying European factories. “If we depend so heavily on imports for raw materials, that means there is always the risk that we will not have enough raw materials,” analysis Annemie Turtelboom, co-author of the report.
“Batteries must not become Europe’s new natural gas. We are largely or too largely dependent on natural gas from Russia.”
Annemie Turtelboom, co-author of the report of the European Court of Auditorson franceinfo
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Moscow has restricted its gas supplies to Europe. Prices are soaring, and the risk of shortages is increasing. This scenario could be repeated for the metals needed to produce batteries, from 2030 for nickel, lithium and cobalt according to the European Court of Auditors. Because demand will explode: within seven years, planned factories in the Union could produce up to twenty times more batteries than today.
Soon sodium or iron batteries?
The prices of raw materials will increase, especially for countries forced to import them, such as France, unlike China, Australia, Canada, which have these metals under their feet and which will be able to produce cheaper batteries and therefore more interesting for car manufacturers, including Europeans.
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This scenario from the European Court of Auditors is pessimistic, says Patrice Simon, professor at Toulouse 3 University. “I find that Europe is playing its role well on this issue of batteries, explains the one who is also a battery specialist. It has already started to take certain measures on norms and standards. For example, it will succeed in imposing a rate of recycling of materials to manufacture batteries. It is very good. It goes in the direction of limiting dependence on metals. It could very well also decide that bringing in batteries produced in the United States, this could be a cause that allows this battery to be blocked at the European border.
Patrice Simon also relies on research with, for example, future sodium or iron batteries, metals more present in European soil.