Electric car : one of the largest lithium mines will be in France

The Imerys group announced yesterday that they will be operating a lithium mine in Beauvoir, in western France. This complex will power more than 700,000 electric cars each year. 

This is the «Emili» project. By 2027, a huge lithium deposit will be opened by the French multinational, Imerys. One billion euros was invested in this mission after 18 months of studying. Before we go any further, let’s clarify some points…

Who is Imerys ? 

Created in April 1880, it is a French multinational company focused on the production and processing of industrial minerals. Its headquarters are in Paris. 

What is lithium ?

Lithium is a chemical element. Li symbol and atomic number 3, it is an alkaline metal. It is a necessary material in the creation of batteries for electric cars. The lithium mines were not so long ago in Chile, China, or Australia. Battery manufacturing is increasing in Europe, so a new challenge has emerged : bringing lithium mines closer. By 2030, demand for lithium could increase by 18 times and by 60 times by 2050. Hence the opening of several mines in Europe, as for example in Serbia. 

With the boom of electric cars, the ecological issue intensifies. Except that to extract lithium, you have to separate it, purify it chemically, and that with a lot of water. The concern is that some polluting materials escape through this process. In a mine, arsenic, a very toxic material, has already been found, killing all vegetation around. 

Lithium in Beauvoir : a gold mine 

Imerys plans to produce 34,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide annually at this site for at least 25 years. This would meet the needs of 700,000 electric vehicles per year. It will be necessary to wait until the end of the laboratory and industrial pilot phases, before this project begins in 2028. To be “respectful of the environment and the local population”, society must not rush the development of this deposit. No less than 1,000 jobs will be created for the Emili project. With the opening of this mine in Beauvoir in a few years, we could have 100% French batteries.