ABOUT THE PROJECT
Li4Life: NOVEL DOMESTIC BATTERY GRADE LITHIUM CARBONATE VALUE CHAIN FOR GREEN LI
THE IDEA:
The context of the challenge
The goal of a climate neutral EU by 2050 is a major driver for the search for new sources of domestic Li raw materials. In particular, the need for high-performance Li compounds is anticipated to increase exponentially in response to the rising demand for electric vehicles and other Li-based strategic technologies.
Recent studies reveal that by 2040, up to 90% of the demand for Li will come from the battery manufacturing sector, acting as a major driver for environmentally friendly technologies. As there are no viable alternatives to using Li ion batteries, the demand of Li is growing more quickly than other essential materials used in batteries. For instance, some traction batteries can function without one or two common materials, such as Ni, Co, Mn, or graphite, but cannot function without Li.
The latest demand forecast analysis by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre found dramatic increases in EU materials demand. Materials used in the electric mobility sector are expected to show the highest relative increase in demand. By way of example, in a high demand scenario, compared with 2020, EU demand for lithium for batteries is expected to multiply by 12 by 2030 and by 21 by 2050.
The legal framework
In April 2024 the EU approved the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRM), an a ambitious legislation part of the legal framework supporting the green transition. The CRM Act aims to address the issue of access to CRM, reducing risks on supply, and ultimately to guarantee that the Union has a safe and sustainable supply of CRMs, including Li, that are essential to the transition to clean energy.
Li4Life supports the CRM Act strategic aim, by developing technologies that enable access Li from existing mining deposits and tailings. By focusing on internal resources and enabling the scaling up of effective technologies, the project aims to reduce the pressure on the supply of this CRM.
THE AMBITION:
Li4Life’s efforts support the EU’s plans to ecological transition and to become a major supplier to the fast-growing European battery sector reducing dependency on foreign Li supplies.
The project aims to introduce new environmentally friendly downstream processes to successfully create new Li value chains for Li battery-grade concentrates.
One of the key features of the project is defining the bulk use for remaining mine waste to reduce the overall environmental impact of the extraction.
Finally, the strategic implementation of the project will include the commitment to obtain a social license for its operations and business models and ensuring compliance with EU ecological framework, which are strong drivers and key to success in the sector for the medium and long term.
THE EXCELLENCE:
Li4Life consortium brings together leading SMEs, universities, and R&D centres that will jointly analyse and build on the best practices in the sector. The technical and economic evaluation will enable to select the most promising one for implementation and their development will serve as a smooth bridge from pilot scaling to actual industrial applications.
The project aims to showcase Li4life’s benefits – including economic, social, and environmental ones, to promote replication and support exploitation across the EU. To achieve this, Li4Life partnership includes end-users involvement through the AVERE and CMA network.