Forward in small steps. The lithium project that the Glencore group wants to carry out in the Portovesme plant, managed by the subsidiary (Portovesme srl) is starting to take its first embryonic steps. And it follows the path traced a few weeks ago by the government, companies and trade unions.
Mimit, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, has convened a technical roundtable at its headquarters in via Molise in Rome on 31 May to address certain aspects linked precisely to the development of the project which has, as its horizon, that of creating a plant for the production of lithium in the industrial complex of Portovesme.
Several topics will be at the center of the meeting: we will pass from the economic aspect to the planning one to get to the social one. One of the points of discussion will concern the times and methods of execution of the new project which should be completed by 2026. In the middle, the identification of the professional skills necessary to carry out the initiative and also the state of discussions underway with institutions on environmental and safety aspects.
Another theme at the center of the meeting will be the progress of the studies and evaluations relating to the project linked to the construction of lines for the production of lithium. The Glencore group, which in recent weeks concluded an agreement with Li-Cycle, wants to play the game of energy transition, building a state-of-the-art plant for the production of lithium as well as nickel and cobalt.
The discussion will not be limited to the perspective alone but also to the management of the transitional phase. The one that today sees the lead line at a standstill (since 14 February) and the zinc line at a reduced rate. In recent days, on the zinc line, the company had also hypothesized a possible opening (in the face of changes in the picture of energy costs).