Highlights:
- Proposed new Regulation from European Commission includesmandatory requirements on carbon footprint rules and responsiblysourced materials within lithium-ion battery production andconsumption in the EU.
- From 1 January 2026, lithium-ion batteries will have to bear acarbon intensity performance class label and from 1 July 2027, must comply with maximum carbon footprint thresholds. The EU will ban batteries not meeting the new regulation.
- Manufacturers will have to demonstrate that they are sourcing raw materials in a responsible way through a digital passport tracking all battery materials used in the battery composition.
- For requirements related to the carbon footprint and the responsible sourcing of raw materials, mandatory third-party verification will be required. Each battery will have a digital passport tracking all components coming from upstream.
- European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič: “(The new EU battery CO2 regulation) will have an immediate impact on themarket, which up until now has been driven only by price“.
- EU commissioner Thierry Breton “We are 100% dependent on lithium imports. The EU, if finding the right environmental approach, will be self-sufficient in a few years, using its resources”.
Vulan Managing Director, Dr. Francis Wedin, commented: “We welcome these announcements from the European Commission, which
are a major endorsement of Vulcan’s Zero Carbon Lithium® strategy. Decarbonisation, responsibly sourced lithium and renewable energy are the foundation of Vulcan. Our early adoption of this strategy gained EU support and puts us at the forefront of the lithium sector where
companies will have to adapt to the rapidly evolving global aims of decarbonisation in the production process and responsibly sourced
materials. With our PFS due shortly we go into 2021 knowing that our project, process and product, to produce battery quality lithium
hydroxide for electric vehicles in Europe for the European market with net zero carbon footprint, will be strongly supported by EU regulations.
We are the only lithium project globally which is being developed to have a zero-carbon footprint, we have the largest lithium resource in Europe and own the trademark Zero Carbon Lithium® which can be licenced to battery manufacturers and OEMs using our product.”