Skip to main content

tv   Planet A  Deutsche Welle  November 4, 2024 2:15pm-2:30pm CET

2:15 pm
the and you're up to date up next. the demand for lithium batteries is expected to go through the roof and the next is, can, you are managed to make it's learned that's coming up a candidate by the house. i mean, for a station in the rain forest continue, carbon dioxide emissions have prison again. the young people of the world are we what impact the biggest change doesn't happen
2:16 pm
the make up your own mind? the take a look at this chart. it shows how much lived in the us producing it may look like a lot, but compared to the rest of the world, it's only point one percent. basically next to nothing. with the units of white gold, we need to make batteries for electric cars and huge ones to serve renewable energy . so it's pretty important mineral for the green transition to us trying to pinnacle the point one percent. it means the block has to massively rely on imports, and you don't need to be an expert to see the big problem here because it means any trouble overseas could spell disaster for the use battery needs. i think the you is panicking. 0 is very, very late. so the, your team, the commission, which draws up new laws for the 27 member block because hatched
2:17 pm
a plan. they want to build out a homegrown with him supply chain from mining to processing and turning it into batteries, all of which is going to happen in someone's backyard. you cannot come to serbia and take land from the said being from and expect people to be what. so how realistic are the use goals really? first, let's take a look at the current state of the east battery supply chain starting with what's called upstream. that's a mining extraction for all the t m. australia to it, and china, other roles, top producers here, accounting for 90 percent of all rather be you produce has very little and imports . instead this policy needs to be purified before you can make batteries. this is called midstream, and this is where the biggest problem is you probably is kind of as a senior director at the non profit transport and environment. she works on sustainable batteries and critical raw materials because anywhere between 70 to 90 percent of that stage, depending on the mineral,
2:18 pm
is actually in china. but you have so little domestic refining capabilities that it currently in ports, almost all of its process. and then there's the downstream part, which is making the actual batteries that you does have some battery factories, but 74 percent of production capacity is owned by korean companies. oh jeez, plant and pull into accounts for 50 percent of them. also, buying batteries from abroad is still cheaper than making them in europe, especially since the cost of importing minnesota right now, as we're struggling to scale that to re manufacturing the import terrace into europe is just over one percent. one percent. why would you ever thought that we'd one percent to date pictures this europe very, very much depends on the rest of the world for its batteries. and this turns into a real problem when something unexpected happens. for example, prices for process, lithium, hit record highs after cobit lockdown semester with supply chains and costs of severe delays and mining. after that, you signed long term supply contracts for 14 producers in australia to
2:19 pm
a in argentina. then it got the serious about legislation. i am announcing 80 pin critical role materials xt. the law says that by 2030 and so basically tomorrow the eu has to serve 10 percent of its critical raw materials domestically entered 40 percent of its raw materials and to battery great stuff inside the u. and that's a long way from the side of the quote, completely unrealistic. dr. young called as a jo chemist working on the team instruction. and he's here for the reality check. when we look very much upstream, i think, is not feasible at all because it takes so much time to, to make a mine and to do the invest that there is a fair bit of us am in europe, 3 point one percent of the world's reserves, according to the european commission mining is going on on a feeling that sweep poland. and then of course the eastern european part of the main yearbook diarrhea, greece is some, i mean,
2:20 pm
some of the biggest on top to reserve. so or on the checked german border, austria, spain, and portugal and mining corporations are trying to get these deposits. wondering based savannah resources has proposed building several mines in portugal is close to but also region in spain with you might be area plans to launch an open pit mine in the rural area of kind of have it out where it's planning to operate for 30 years. and over in the czech republic, the scene of that project, brenda, european metals holdings, claims to be the largest hardrock lithium project, and e, u am of them all the project that we have now. cut them into operation, then this would be enough for the supply a few ropes. so what's holding them back? part of the answer is currently playing out in a country. more known to speak is time start then it's mineral deposits. i'm all chemist, that'd be a more aware of serbia's rich resources and the enormous potential field was confirmed reserves of a $158000000.00 tons of lithium board. serbia isn't
2:21 pm
a number state of the yet, but what's happening here is emblematic of the continent. the struggles to get their battery industry going. british australian lining, trying for year 10 to has been fighting for mining rights and the jot our region of western service. since 2000 for scientific studies says that enough, lithium can be constructed here to cover 90 percent of the continents needs. but residents upstairs, they protested against the steering land, grabs and a destroyed environment. they managed to revolt 3 attempts as licensed in 2022. but after the government, new turn, the project was reinstated. in july, president again took to the streets. this country has been slowly sold all to foreign investments. brianna of a coverage is an entry mining activist, split the group market. dana, people just had enough, you know, region like as much humidity or a mining company in the world. they could be the mazda push, the razor mining. we don't want another line and so like we need to clean what's going on the 1st before any findings, investors are allowed to occupy land and time and meeting to waste them assigned to
2:22 pm
the study showed that research drilling by rio tend to, has already leaked. bron arsenic and lift him into rivers active a say the mining site threatens an ecosystem that has hundreds of protected species with generational firms that produce $70000000.00 euro squared to food per year. certainly is not alone. people in portugal, spain and france have also protested plan to mining projects in the regions. because if someone comes along to take a moment or then we roll out the red carpet for him and us, we don't ask you able to box the people i said modeling my children that were growing up in the village next. doing this, not in my backyard sense or name the for short because push back on efforts to extract more of the team in the but i'm like families, supply chains are dependent on the middle child without processing. you can mind as much with him as you want, but your factory still can't use it. and right now that you're looking at strength, isn't that shape? for lithium, refining this directly to capacity phillips,
2:23 pm
i dollars an adviser for the auto industry. he says, the biggest problem is and still just too expensive to do it in europe. got to bring energy costs down. well, you have to go where way you have affordable cheap of energy, which is at the same time renewable because we, we want to have a sustainable, federally supply chain in europe. so this means bringing the refiners to coastal areas for wind, the north for hydro power and the south for solar. recently they did get the ball rolling on refineries. in september 2024 dutch company am g critical minerals launched production edits plant and bit to south germany. it plants to produce and a battery grade lithium for around $500000.00 and eighty's per year. other companies like germany's will kind of energy, luxembourg based lavista and francis very creatively named lead him to false, also have refinery projects and development. but europe will need more than just plant capacity. labor is very, very expensive in, in europe compared to other regions of the world. so i think also mation on the
2:24 pm
prophecies will be the key leader. when we look at the state of europe's downstream industry, the weather is sunny or but with a few more storms. this is actually where i think you're up can to, can meet most of its needs. but you already produced half the battery cells that needed in 2022. the majority came from algae plants and poland and samsung ones and hungry. and the continent is rapidly scaling up. dirt is planning to build almost 50 battery factories by 2030. theoretically, these were total $1.00, turn lots of production capacity. a whopping 10 fold increase from 2023. so there's so much catching up to do. chinese projected 2030 capacity is about 4 turner watts, which means the race might already be over. as for the storms, the same problems apply to down stream estimate stream establishing a battery. so factory in europe is almost 50 times more expensive than in china, according to a transport environment or parts. and the sector has also been played with bad news
2:25 pm
from its poster children like sweden, smartphones were 2 workers of died and at least 26. others were seriously injured in factories. in june 2024 bmw, cancel the 2000000000 euro contract after delay delivery. and quality concerns, despite raising 15000000000 and funding the company is struggling so badly, it has to weigh off a substantial part of its workforce and solve one of its factories. market conditions are also partly to blame. looking prices came down again in 2023, which means even cheaper batteries from china, just out of slumping european, easy demand and you're in for a tough. so the battery is available at 20 low prices because of the huge over capacities which have been built up in china on the last use every actually project . and this is regards to, to mid stream and to downstream f investment project in europe has to, to present a positive business case. in fact, a report says that around half the use announced capacities and 2030 are now
2:26 pm
considered at risk of being delayed scale down or canceled. all this means that you need to throw money on this binary industry to stand a chance. and you report says that 76000000000 euros would be needed just for battery manufacturing to achieve 2030 goals. in 2024, the commission had announced just 9000000000 euros and battery supply chain investment and private investment has also side away compare this to what's happening in the us is 2023 inflation reduction act punched over $70000000000.00 towards a v and battery supply. chain and it works just look at the tesla who pulled some of its investments in germany to focus on the north american market last year. it's so simple, it's so visible by without having any knowledge, expertise, been, you know, in business for example, can calculate what will be my return on investment. the find less than a bad. she's actually in the us. and if i could, i would invest in the pension back to me in the us. what the us has done, we come to because we are
2:27 pm
a federation of member states. we're not the country in europe. 20 southern member states have to agree, then get businesses on board before anything happens in china. the government just does it at the moment, the said the investment climate is a bit chilly. what we need now is some, some persistence to get to this slump. this, this market slow down for the next couple of years. it's all about having industrial bullets to that's going to be about the business case and this policy can be around trait. so for example, terry's on back to results. it can be around carbon footprints, environmental requirements. that's what advantage local manufacturing in europe. again, we have it in the plants, but the delay. and of course, finally, it could be simply investment support either full cole. this is towards the objectives that we talk about. or as i said, we, we, we go home. so we'll, we'll europe's battery supply chain book, like in the future. my name will likely remain global,
2:28 pm
that you get this minerals from lots of different countries, which makes it less risky. processing is rather content will need to really up, it's can. and as for production that you will probably have to get comfortable with some long term relationships. the best way of course, would be if you have joint ventures that would enable your looking players to, to catch up in terms of the technology and with the asian companies. the elephant in the room is that building out this industry has environmental and social costs so far, all the issues around this polish labor conditions, environmental issues, the export to other companies. and i find this on ethic. i find this unacceptable situation. but many of them and the impact of extractive mining is something people in europe will have to face up to you sooner or later. just look at sub. yeah. and don't expect that that's not going to happen. where you are, does your region have a working battery supply chain?
2:29 pm
let us know the comments below and don't forget to headlight and subscribe. the the 77 percent investigates kidnappings across africa. here and on certainty. and nigeria, why i see be the good news and secret abductions in kenya. this the government trying to silence us del santo site for us of the next on d. w. living down in d. w podcast. how to make greener choices in your everyday lives. but honestly,
2:30 pm
try to do the working 32 hours a week to be better for the environment than 40. but of course we shouldn't be 90 the, the living scientists just hits subscribe. whatever you listen to 100 costs the, you know, i'd be lives with the c plus up, some people know even may nibble to says blue dies banking up, gaming logos, these, thank you, my uncle. let's see. in the fall, i can screw up to my village and feel safe, but now we get every n u a go every that visit. i used to feel safe because that a lot of really cheap passing out here. that's right. but really, really most of the places and let's see bring back the girls. remember that rallying cry calling for the safe return.

1 View

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on