2024-07-07 17:46:29
The project to open a lithium mine in Echassières (Allier) is part of France’s strategy to eliminate its dependence on imports, especially from China. This is one of the largest European projects carried out by the Imerys group in Allier. It has just joined the list of “projects of special national interest”, as well as with accelerated implementation procedures, according to the order published this Sunday in the Official Journal.
The production of lithium batteries for electric cars is an important part of the energy transition, while hot boats must be banned from sale in the European Union from 2035.
According to Imerys, the project called Emili aims to produce from 2028 lithium necessary for the production of batteries for more than 700,000 cars for 25 years.
A public consultation launched in March on the environmental and economic impacts of the project must end on July 31, according to the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP). Imerys estimates that his project, described as “the largest mining project in mainland France for more than half a century”, will generate 500 direct jobs and 1,000 indirect jobs.
Australia, Chile and China
The status of “project of major national interest”, created by the green industry law of October 2023, allows major industrial projects for ecological change or national sovereignty to benefit from accelerated or administrative relief measures.
This position has been given in recent days to a project for a molecular plastic recycling plant from the Eastman plant in Seine-Maritime, to a reduced metal and hydrogen production site from the Gravithy plant in Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches -du -Rhône), as well as the carbon photovoltaic panel mega-factory in the Grand Maritime Port of Marseille.
Globally, by 2022, 47% of lithium mined will come from Australia (mostly sold to Chinese mining companies), 30% from Chile and 15% from China. In Europe, Portugal only produces a small amount of lithium that will be 0.5% of global mining production in 2022, according to data from the US Geological Survey.
In June, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said it feared “tensions” over the global supply of minerals and metals essential to the energy transition and encouraging an increase in mining investments so that the world manages to limit its warming to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century.
Imerys wants to limit the impact on the environment
For this project, Imerys confirmed that he wants to limit the impact on the environment and to bring together all the stakeholders: mining companies, buyers, investors, NGOs, associations, etc. go.
If this project sees the light of day, the extraction of mica will take place in Echassières under the current kaolin quarry. The materials will be sent 17 km east to the “loading base” near Saint-Bonnet de Rochefort before being sent by rail to “La Lou”, in the agglomeration of Montluçon, where the lithium hydroxide conversion point there will be To move the mica concentration between Beauvoir and Saint-Bonnet de Rochefort, Imerys chose underground pipelines, which would avoid the equivalent of one hundred freight vehicles per day.
Regarding the attention point of the project on water supply, the company explains that thanks to the innovative device, 90% of the water will be recycled in a closed circuit, or even 95% according to more recent figures stated by ‘ money. For the remaining 10%, or 1.2 million m3 of water per year, half will be collected from the Montluçon sewage station, and the other half (600,000 m3) taken each year from Sioule, a river 30 km from Échassières, which will be alone. represents 1/1000th of its total flow.
This mine can come into operation in 2028. The purpose is to produce 2.1 million tons per year for 25 years of operation.
Local residents are against the project
It is true that this emily work is raising eyebrows among the residents of the future mine. More and more voices oppose this “pharaonic” project, like Cécile, scientist and engineer who is a member of the group “Save the Colettes Forest”, a green lung which joins me. “We’re going into the wall!” he said angrily. There is no such thing as a clean face. People need to know exactly what is going on. The mine will produce 2 million tons of residue per year. It is a destructive model. » If the village of Échassières seems committed to the cause of mine in the neighboring village of Saint-Bonnet-de-Rochefort, the rebellion appears in the streets.
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