While China’s global predominance in the extraction of this highly coveted element is a source of concern, Europe is discovering new deposits. Good news, certainly, but at what cost?
Lithium extraction on the Old Continent seems to be taking off. In France alone, new sources promise to meet an ever-growing demand. And the same is true for some of our neighbors.
Indeed, essential to the energy transition envisaged by the European Union, lithium is the subject of intense research. Recently, traces of this material were found in the Antwerp region, Belgium, and the potential seems more than satisfactory.
Lithium hidden in water
We owe this find to Hita, a company specializing in geothermal energy. “ We have discovered that the Antwerp and Limburg Kempen regions contain highly sought-after lithium deep underground. », Announces its leader. Indeed, it is in water pumped more than 1,000 meters below the Belgian floor that traces of this material were found.
The concentration of lithium there would be 100 mg per liter of water. A number ” very correct “, according to Bart Michielsen of the VITO research institute, even if the break-even point is around 150 mg per liter of water. However, the potential of these deposits remains significant: “ a geothermal power plant in Flanders can produce 500 tonnes of lithium hydroxide each year », Explains the specialist. He pursues : ” If we multiply this figure by the 30 power plants that will be built by 2050, we obtain 15,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide “.
In 2030, only around ten geothermal power plants will be operational in the region. Enough to produce 5,000 tonnes of this compound per year, which could contribute to the manufacture of 125,000 electric cars.
A real gold mine
Does this mean that we will be able to reduce our dependence on China for battery production? Certainly, but to a certain extent. According to the International Energy Agency, global demand for lithium could increase ninefold by 2050, which will be difficult to meet on our continent. Especially since the needs for this raw material will be particularly high there, because electric vehicles are booming on our roads. Particularly because of the ban on the sale of thermal cars in the region by 2035.
However, this increase in demand is expected to lead to higher lithium prices. Between 2018 and 2022 alone, the price of a tonne of lithium carbonate increased “ from less than 20,000 euros to almost 80,000 euros », reports the newspaper The Free. A boon for European operators, who could soon find themselves with real gold mines in their hands. Especially since the governments of the continent want to limit the use of this resource from China. We can only hope that this will not have too much impact on the cost of electric cars, which are currently becoming more and more affordable.
As for the ecological impact, this will necessarily be a sensitive issue. Mining activities are not known to be the most virtuous, and it will be less easy to look away as soon as they intensify here. However, the extraction of this compound would be less harmful for our planet when it comes from geothermal energy. “ This is more environmentally friendly than traditional mining », explains Nicolas Dupont, UMONS specialist.
Additionally, European regulations should encourage operators to be more attentive to environmental issues than in other regions of the world. And, thanks to industrial advances in battery recycling, battery manufacturing could be greener in Europe than elsewhere. Which would not be a luxury, given the criticisms leveled against the ecological impact of electric vehicles.
Source : The Free
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