The French group Imerys will launch, in the Allier, the exploitation of one of the largest European mines of lithium, this very precious alkaline metal which makes it possible to produce batteries for electric vehicles.
Imerys, a multinational specialized in minerals, announced on Monday, October 24 the launch of a lithium exploitation project which could well give credit to the ambitions of France and the European Union in terms of energy transition and vis-à-vis sovereignty. -à-vis the Chinese giant in particular. The French company will operate, by 2027 in the Massif Central, one of the largest lithium mines on the Old Continent, with the aim of eventually equipping no less than 700,000 electric vehicles per year.
A production of 34,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide guaranteed each year for… 25 years
It is in the Allier department, and more particularly on its Beauvoir site, that the Imerys group will exploit a giant deposit of lithium, this white powder that makes electric vehicle manufacturers dream. The Emili project, for “Exploitation de MIca Lithinifère par Imerys)” will thus be carried out on a site already known to produce kaolin since the 19e century, a rock at the base intended for porcelain but which today helps in the manufacture of paper, paints or fiberglass, and which delights the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
After 18 months of studies and surveys conducted by mining extraction professionals, Imerys claims to be able to target a production of 34,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide from 2028, for a period of at least under 25 years old. This would make the French group a European reference, with a real status as a world player in lithium.
” Once the Emili project is completed, it should provide a sustainable and competitive domestic source of lithium supply for French and European car manufacturers and would greatly contribute to meeting the challenges of the energy transition. commented Imerys CEO Alessandro Dazza.
Each year, 700,000 electric vehicles could benefit from the lithium obtained from the exploitation of the mine
Once fully operational, the mine should produce enough to equip the equivalent of 700,000 electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries per year. ” This project will contribute to the objective set by the President of the Republic to produce 2 million electric vehicles in France by 2030, and will be supported by the government “, reacted the Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Bruno Le Maire.
The project would require an investment estimated at 1 billion euros, including tin and tantalum credits. ” The production cost of lithium in Beauvoir should be between 7 euros/kilo and 9 euros/kilo “, estimates Imerys, which considers it competitive on the European market. Ultimately, the company guarantees a return on investment ” interesting “.
Imerys, which will have to refine the geological and industrial aspects related to the lithium extraction and transformation process (for environmental reasons in particular), promises to start production in the next five years. Nearly 1,000 direct and indirect jobs should be created on this occasion in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. They will be distributed between two sites: the underground extraction mine, located between 75 and 350 meters deep, and the mineral purification and lithium hydroxide processing plant, which will be installed a few tens of kilometers away.
Source : Imerys press release
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