Page 97 - Impiantitica industriale

on China, and the same amount of its borate – se production, hopefully more sustainably, in order
used in detergents – on Turkey, while 71 per cent to meet Europe’s burgeoning battery demands,
of platinum is sourced from South Africa. Many of which could be worth €250 billion a year by 2025,
these countries do not have the required high stan- driven by the growth in electric vehicles.
dards of environmental and social protection which
the EU demands. For example cobalt production in
the Democratic Republic of Congo uses artisanal The 30 raw materials
mining practices and child labour, The EC action plan now lists 30 critical raw ma-
according to Amnesty International. terials including bauxite, lithium, titanium and
strontium. It intends to help identify new sources
According to a recent OECD report, the growth in that can be up and running by 2025, with prio-
materials use, and the consequent environmental rity given to coal-mining regions aiming to move
consequences of material extraction, processing away from fossil fuel production as part of the
and waste, is likely to increase pressure on the pla- Just Transition.
net and jeopardise gains in well-being. Without ad-
dressing the resource needs of low-carbon techno- The commission will also map the potential of se-
logies, this may simply cause new environmental condary critical materials by 2022. Their presence
and social problems, such as heavy metal pollu- in the list will affect trade negotiations, investment
tion, habitat destruction, and industrial policy. The plan estimates material
or resource depletion. needs for growing technologies such as clean
energy technologies (photovoltaic, wind, storage),
A mini-industrial policy, a group electric mobility and digital technologies (ICT, robo-
– the European Battery Alliance tics, 3D printing) based on the EU’s 2050 climate-
neutrality scenarios and
“– plus changes to other forecasts. It provides an outlook to 2030 and
existing legislation will help 2050 of material demand for these sectors and
identifies supply risks and bottlenecks at different
new start-ups in the market to levels of the supply chains.
increase production, hopefully
in order to meet Europe’s The commission estimates that demand for lithium
will increase 16-fold by the end of the decade and
burgeoning battery demands, 60-fold by 2050. Cobalt will see a 500 per cent
which could be worth €250 increase by 2030 and 15-fold by 2050.
billion a year by 2025 However, many battery manufacturers – Tesla in-
cluded – are trying to reduce or eliminate cobalt
A mini-industrial policy, a group – the European use in power packs, given its cost, the environmen-
Battery Alliance – plus changes to existing legisla- tal impact and human rights abuses linked to its
tion, will help new start-ups in the market to increa- extraction.

According to a recent OECD report, the growth in materials use, and the consequent 91
Impiantistica Italiana - Marzo-Aprile 2021
environmental consequences of material extraction, processing and waste, is likely to
increase pressure on the planet and jeopardise gains in well-being. Without addressing

the resource needs of low-carbon technologies, this may simply cause new
environmental and social problems, such as heavy metal pollution, habitat destruction,
or resource depletion.

A mini-industrial policy, a group – the European Battery Alliance – plus changes to
existing legislation, will help new start-ups in the market to increase production,
hopefully more sustainably, in order to meet Europe’s burgeoning battery demands,

which could be worth €250 billion (A$406 billion) a year by 2025, driven by the growth
in electric vehicles.

The 30 Raw Materials

The EC action plan now lists 30 critical raw materials including bauxite, lithium,

titanium and strontium. It intends to help identify new sources that can be up and
running by 2025, with priority given to coal-mining regions aiming to move away from
fossil fuel production as part of the Just Transition.

The commission will also map the potential of secondary critical materials by 2022.
Their presence in the list will affect trade negotiations, investment and industrial policy.

The plan estimates material needs for growing technologies such as clean energy
technologies (photovoltaic, wind, storage), electric mobility and digital technologies
(ICT, robotics, 3D printing) based on the EU’s 2050 climate-neutrality scenarios and
other forecasts. It provides an outlook to 2030 and 2050 of material demand for these

sectors and identifies supply risks and bottlenecks at different levels of the supply
chains.

The commission estimates that demand for lithium will increase 16-fold by the end of
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