EU concerned about reliance on Chinese lithium batteriesReuters, MADRIDThe EU could become as dependent on China for lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells by 2030 as it previously was on Russia for energy before the war in Ukraine unless it takes strong measures, a paper prepared for EU leaders said. The document, obtained by Reuters, would be the basis of discussions on Europe’s economic security during a meeting of EU leaders in Granada, Spain, on Oct. 5. Employees work on a production line of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles at a factory in Huzhou, China, on Aug. 28, 2018. “This will skyrocket our demand for lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells and electrolyzers, which is expected to multiply between 10 and 30 times in the coming years,” said the paper, prepared by the Spanish presidency of the EU. Lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells were not the only areas of EU vulnerability, the Spanish presidency paper said.
