On Tuesday, 19 May, the Vice-President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, welcomed the strength of the European Battery Alliance, which "remains on track" despite the health crisis in the European Union, following a videoconference meeting with the Alliance's stakeholders.
The Vice-President welcomed the willingness of the industrialists taking part in this initiative (BASF, E-bility, EDF, Forsee Power, Infinity, Northvolt, Orano, SAFT, Schneider, Umicore, Volkswagen, and Vulcan Energy Resources) to accelerate projects throughout the value chain. A million jobs could potentially be created in an ecosystem valued at €210 billion, he said.
Above all, Mr Šefčovič stressed, Europe has experienced the world's fastest growth in the electric battery sector, so that it should rapidly move towards self-sufficiency, with production reaching around 80% of its needs by 2025. The EU could reach 14.7% of world production by 2024, surpassing the US, he said.
The Commission gave the green light in December to the French Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) (see EUROPE 12386/23). It is expected to give its approval to a second German project shortly, the Vice President said.
A new regulatory framework to facilitate the development of the battery sector and an action plan to ensure security of access to raw materials, linked to the industrial strategy, are expected to be launched shortly (see EUROPE 12443/7). The stakes are high: by 2030, European requirements for lithium and cobalt will be 18 and 5 times higher respectively than today's requirements. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)