Lithium is crucial to the batteries that power electric vehicles.
A Lithium-ion battery photographed at a Volkswagen facility in Germany. The EU is looking to increase the number of electric vehicles on its roads in the coming years.plans to develop a lithium extraction project that it's hoped will help meet demand and secure supply for Europe's emerging electric vehicle market.
According to the business, this level of production would be enough to "equip approximately 700,000 electrical vehicles per year." The project being planned by Imerys is taking shape at a time when major economies like the EU are looking to ramp up the number of electric vehicles on their roads.The U.K., which left the EU on Jan. 31, 2020, is pursuing similar targets.
In a translation of her State of the Union speech last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said "lithium and rare earths will soon be more important than oil and gas."