Antonina Levashenko, Head of International Best Practices Analysis Department at the Gaidar Institute, in a commentary for RIA Novosti explained that the European Union's (EU) current lithium projects are not yet enough to ensure self-sufficiency by 2030, but much will depend on investors' willingness to finance European projects.
She stated that despite Neptune Energy's recent announcement of the discovery of one of the world's largest lithium deposits in Germany with reserves estimated at 43 mln tons of lithium carbonate equivalent, this is not yet sufficient to overcome the EU's dependence on external supplies, particularly China, for battery lithium production.
"Apart from developing the German deposit, three integrated projects are planned, covering both mining and processing... This currently appears low for the EU to achieve self-sufficiency by 2030 and overcome its dependence on China for the development of lithium battery components. However, much will depend on the willingness of investors to finance this and other European projects at all stages," noted Antonina Levashenko.
The expert clarified that promising initiatives include two projects in France, one in the Czech Republic, and several mining and processing projects in Spain. However, the timeframe for commercialization remains extremely long: at least 10 years from launch. Currently, the EU's share of global lithium production is less than 0.1% with the only processing facility located in Portugal operating exclusively on imported raw materials.
Levashenko focused on the technological aspects of the German project: "The project involves direct lithium mining (extraction), which allows for the production of battery-grade lithium products directly from the mine sites. This method is highly efficient, e.g., instead of the 18 months required for traditional lithium processing, it reduces the process to one or two days." At the same time, she noted, the technology remains expensive, rare, and requires significant investment.
"Much depends, for example, on whether investors are willing to invest in this project and other EU projects at the preparation stage, as very large investments are required to achieve the EU's self-sufficiency goals," the expert emphasized.
She recalled that, according to the EU Critical Raw Materials Act adopted in 2024, the Union intends to create a domestic production chain by 2030 capable of meeting growing lithium demand, which is projected to increase 12-fold by 2030 and 20-fold by 2050.