China occupies a dominant position in the field of batteries for electric cars. The world's leading manufacturers are concentrated in the Land of the Dragon, which also maintains privileged relations with companies in the mining and raw materials extraction sectors.
Against this backdrop, Europe has set itself the goal of carving out a place in the sun in order to reduce its dependence on Eastern Europe and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the ecological transition. One of the initiatives put in place by the European Union is the European Battery Alliance (EBA). Let's take a look at what it is and what its objectives are.
A €250 billion industry
First things first. The European Battery Alliance was created at the end of 2017 by Maros Sefcovic, Vice-President of the European Commission, who felt it was essential to launch EU initiatives on the subject of batteries.
The EBA sees the participation of 120 industry players. They include research institutes, companies, public bodies and national authorities working in a coordinated fashion and actively cooperating with the EU Member States and the European Investment Bank.
The aim is to attract investment and accelerate growth in the sector. From the outset, the European Battery Alliance has been clear. In order to beat China and Japan, Europe needs excellence. But by differentiating its products and working on a truly sustainable supply chain and production system, the Old Continent can reach beyond its own borders and establish itself on a global scale. According to analysts, Europe can achieve total sales of €250 billion by 2025.
All areas are concerned
To build a truly environmentally-friendly chain, the European Battery Alliance is working on several fronts.
- Raw materials and semi-finished products
- Cell components
- Cell construction
- Battery pack construction
- Production of electric cars
- Recycling
It is by fundamentally rethinking individual activities and harnessing new (and more efficient) technologies that Europe aims to create a cutting-edge, competitive and green sector.
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Green, above all, because the transition will be truly ecological when it succeeds in controlling and limiting CO2 emissions from the stages linked to the extraction and recovery of raw materials, the construction of individual battery components, the production of entire batteries and even their combination with electric cars. Not forgetting, of course, the recycling and recovery of materials.
Work is progressing well, thanks also to the definition of a strategic plan that was published in 2018, although at present it is complex.
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