One of the largest European lithium mines, this essential mineral for the manufacture of electric cars should see the light of day in France in the coming years. The Imerys group announced on Tuesday the start-up of a deposit in the Massif Central by 2027.
This EY partner, an expert in the mining sector, also cites the “quality of French geological knowledge”. “We are also rich in democracy, that is to say that before we can exploit what we have, we have all the resources, we have all the [parties prenantes] who should sit around the table [pour] find a balanced agreement between employment and the consequences on the environment, whatever they may be”, said Christian Mion, whose firm has just published a study on the global risks and opportunities of the mining sector in 2023.
“It’s Everywhere”
“Lithium is everywhere […]it is not an extremely rare product,” he explained. This mineral “can be extracted quite quickly”, more than copper or cobalt “which require much more complicated installations at a chemical level”, she clarified.
However, five countries today concentrate the current lithium production: 60% for South America with Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, as well as 20% for Australia and 17% for China.
a period of ten years
Above all, will we have enough metals to ensure the electric transition? Some experts are already concerned about copper, fearing that we may not have the resources to ensure the transition from the current fleet to an electric fleet. “The metals are there, they are in the earth’s crust. The only problem is that it takes about ten years to set up an operation between the start of the discoveries. [et] the final production of one ton of cathode,” he assured.
And without cathode there is no battery for electric cars. However, the goals in Europe are high, with the end of the sale of thermal engine cars announced for 2035. The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed last week at the Paris Motor Show the goal of 2 million of vehicles produced by 2030 on French soil. .
Despite these new deposits, Christian Mion forecasts a rise in metal prices that will continue. Last week, the general manager of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, had also warned: metal prices are volatile and that volatility will be reflected in vehicle prices.
Source: BFM TV
