A project in Cornwall, England, is building on the county’s history of tin mining, looking to restore jobs and boost the local economy by developing a new geothermal plant that will produce electricity, heat and, hopefully, lithium.
Electric car and industrial batteries sold in Europe will soon face legally binding environmental standards, the European Commission said on Thursday (10 December), as it seeks to give local producers an edge in a rapidly growing global market.
Access to affordable energy is a key factor underpinning the competitiveness of European industries. But as the green transition gains momentum, pressure is building to put a higher price signal on energy and CO2 emissions, leaving regulators in a quandary.
While Europe is rapidly catching up with China on investments into batteries for electric cars, it is still lagging behind when it comes to securing supplies of the critical raw materials that are needed to produce them.
When the flu pandemic hit Europe and disrupted global supply chains this year, the EU came to a sobering realisation – it cannot continue relying solely on imports for raw materials like lithium and rare earths which are critical for the bloc’s digital and green industries.
The European Commission launched a new industry alliance on Tuesday (30 September) aimed at strengthening the EU’s “strategic autonomy” on raw materials like rare earths, which are considered key for the bloc’s green and digital transitions.
The European Commission will announce the launch of a new industry alliance this week, with a view to building a complete EU supply chain for raw materials like lithium, which are seen as critical for the bloc’s digital and green transitions.
A coalition of businesses including Signify, Glencore and Fairphone have launched a joint initiative to improve the economic, working and social conditions of those working in the cobalt supply chain. EURACTIV's media partner, edie.net, reports.
The soft, silvery-white alkali metal is expected to enter the EU list of critical raw materials later this year because of its strategic importance to the automotive industry, EURACTIV has learned.
The European Commission is having to re-order its priorities in the face of the coronavirus crisis, with “non-essential” initiatives like the biodiversity strategy and the farm-to-fork strategy likely to be delayed by several weeks, EURACTIV understands.
Foreign competition and access to raw materials top the agenda for steelmakers and other basic industries as they await European Commission plans to accompany the EU Green Deal.
Access to critical raw materials used in digital and clean technologies was labelled as "a strategic security question" in a European Green Deal unveiled today (11 December). A new industrial policy is expected to complete the picture next year.