A new working document from the European Union points to the extremely significant dependence of our countries on China when it comes to electric batteries.
Relations between Europe and China on the question of electricity could well become strained in the future. An investigation has just been launched by the European Commission to find out whether China has not unduly favored its electric car industry. A situation all the more difficult since the old continent would in fact be very dependent on Beijing in this area!
A demand that will explode
On October 5, European Union countries will meet at a summit on economic security in Granada, Spain. On this occasion, they will assess the risks posed to our sovereignty by a more assertive China, and the means to reduce the links of dependence.
And the task should not be easy, particularly in the sector of electric batteries, a key product for the ecological transition, and which could therefore become vital in the years to come. “ Demand for lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells and electrolyzers will therefore explode and is expected to increase 10 to 30 times in the coming years. », explains a working document produced for the occasion, and to which Reuters was able to gain access.
Sovereignty to be found quickly
The problem is that Europe is very far from producing what it needs for electric cells and batteries. In fact, it relies a lot on China, and perhaps even a little too much, as the study provided by the Spanish presidency of the EU points out. To the point of recalling the vital node represented by the Nord Stream gas pipelines (which were also recently sabotaged) for European economies.
“ Without the implementation of strong measures, the European energy ecosystem could find itself by 2030 in a dependence on China of a different nature, but of a similar severity, to that which it had towards Russia before the invasion of Ukraine ”, it is thus explained. Hence the urgency it seems to prepare for a return of sovereignty so as not to find ourselves in the current position where the decision to urgently cut Russian supplies to Europe has led to numerous problems, whether on the cost energy or for certain countries like Germany, on the national industrial fabric.
Source : Reuters
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