Strategic raw materials projects announced

The European Commission has recently unveiled 46 projects deemed essential for European sovereignty in raw materials. These projects span the entire supply chain of materials crucial for electrification and battery production, including extraction, transformation, and recycling. Six of these projects are based in France.

EU's focus on energy sovereignty

The European Union is working to enhance its energy independence amid rising geopolitical tensions. To achieve this, the European Commission has introduced the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), a regulation designed to secure Europe's access to metals and minerals vital for green, digital, defense, and space technologies. The law sets specific 2030 targets, such as extracting 10% of annual needs for critical raw materials within Europe.

Support for strategic projects

To reach these goals, the European Commission has selected a set of strategic projects for the second consecutive year across all value chains. While this selection does not guarantee funding, it allows involved companies to benefit from administrative simplifications, such as faster processing times.

Distribution of selected projects

The 46 European projects are spread across 16 member states. They include eight extraction projects, 11 transformation projects, and 19 recycling projects. France is well-represented with six selected projects among them.

Lithium de France project highlighted

One notable project is Lithium de France, led by a startup of the same name. This project aims to extract heat and geothermal lithium from the subsurface of Alsace. Another selected project is EMME, which focuses on producing materials essential for battery composition, including battery-grade nickel and cobalt, alongside a materials science laboratory.

Diverse applications of the CRMA

The CRMA is not limited to batteries. The LUERN project, led by Aubert & Duval, has also been selected. This initiative aims to increase production and recycling of titanium to secure the supply chain for European aviation.