How Europe Is Racing to Secure Lithium Supply with New Mining Efforts

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Lithium is emerging as a strategic resource, pushing Europe to develop domestic mining and reduce dependence on Chinese-controlled critical mineral supply chains.

In recent years, the European Union (EU) has become increasingly focused on the strategic implications of concentrated supply chains. Lithium is emerging as a resource for the 21st-century economy, with an importance comparable to that of petroleum in the 20th century.

China produces roughly two-thirds of the world’s refined lithium supply, and many European leaders worry about its geopolitical implications. With demand expected to grow fivefold by 2030 for lithium, Europe is picking up a shovel and scrambling to build its own lithium mining and processing capabilities—and for many members of the EU, that process all starts with digging in their own backyards.

From Germany to Serbia to Portugal, mining firms are racing to develop promising new discoveries of lithium. For countries without promising lithium deposits, stockpiling is the only option. “All European countries today have strategic reserves for oil and gas. We should do the same for strategic raw materials,” said Stéphane Séjourné, European Commissioner for Industrial Strategy, in an interview with Reuters.

Europe’s Push to Develop Domestic Lithium Mining 

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