In search of lithium – International

On 24 October, the Imerys group announced a project for the extraction of lithium in Échassières, in central France, at a site where more than 25,000 tons of kaolin, a material used to make ceramics and porcelain, have been produced every year for decades. , he writes The world. Some studies confirm the presence of high concentrations of lithium hydroxide in depth. According to the Bureau de recherches géologiques et minières (Brgm), this deposit will allow the extraction of 34 thousand tons of lithium over 25 years. Lithium is a chemical element of fundamental importance, especially in the production of batteries for cars with electric motors. The project will require a minimum investment of one billion euros, based on a lithium production cost estimated at between seven and nine euros per kilo. Production is expected to start at the beginning of 2028, after the conclusion of the evaluation phases and industrial trials, leading among other things to the creation of about a thousand jobs. ◆