Just FYI. Money seems to be available only with permit. Procurement law should be the same throughout the EU.
"ERMA partner secures permit for lithium plant and raises €500 million in funding
ERMA is pleased to report on the recent success of one of its partners,
Finnish mining and battery-chemical company Keliber, which constitutes both a significant permit approval and a windfall investment of €500 million.
Keliber recently acquired the environmental and building permits for a lithium chemical plant in the city of Kokkola in Finland. The environmental permit means that preparations for the operative phase can begin. Keliber’s CEO has called the acquisition of the environmental permit “a remarkable achievement”.
The company managed to raise €500 million for the project – by way of two share issues and one loan facility.
The zoning for Keliber’s Syväjärvi, Rapasaari and Outovesi mining areas and the Päiväneva concentrator area have also been approved by the Kokkola City Council and the Municipal Councils of Kaustinen and Kronoby. In Syväjärvi, extraction of the material necessary for constructing roads and other areas has already begun.
With demand for lithium products estimated to grow by 20 percent per year in Europe and geopolitical concerns affecting non-EU supply, Keliber will be a core asset for Europe. Keliber aims to produce sustainable, high-purity lithium chemicals by utilising its own ore and to align its production with the strongest expected growth of lithium demand in Europe.
The planned annual production of the lithium chemical plant is 15,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate. Its primary raw material is spodumene concentrate, which Keliber will produce from its own ore in the Päiväneva area of Kaustinen.
The construction of the lithium chemical plant is scheduled to start this summer, with production to get underway in 2024. "
https://erma.eu/erma-partner-secures-permit-for-lithium-plant-and-raises-eur-500-million/
and...
"Germany to revamp raw materials strategy to tackle dependencies
3. Jan. 2023
View attachment 26709
“The discrepancy between supply and demand that may arise leads at best to rising prices for intermediate and end products, but it can also lead to complete delivery failures,” a document outlining the cornerstones of the upcoming strategy reads.
As demand for critical raw materials to fuel the green transition surges, the German government announced on Tuesday (3 January) that it will revamp its raw materials strategy to reduce dependencies and avoid supply shortages.
With the war in Ukraine exposing the hazards of over-reliance on a single supplier for energy imports, Germany is looking into reducing similar dependencies when it comes to critical raw materials.
Demand for critical raw materials such as lithium, rare earths or
graphite is expected to skyrocket in the coming years. According to
estimates by the International Energy Agency, demand for lithium – an essential part of batteries – is expected to increase by 42 times by 2040.
The new strategy seeks to avoid potential supply risks that come with the surge in demand.
“The discrepancy between supply and demand that may arise leads at best to rising prices for intermediate and end products, but it can also lead to complete delivery failures,” a
document outlining the cornerstones of the upcoming strategy reads.
However, critics have
argued that the German raw materials strategy, published in 2020, is too passive and lacks ambition.
While the last strategy betted on the prudence of companies and merely flanked corporate efforts to secure supply chains, the revised roadmap is slated to take a more assertive approach in recognition of the tense geopolitical situation and the special market situation for these commodities.
Tackling dependencies
Germany, alongside the rest of the EU, is currently heavily dependent on non-democratic countries for its imports of critical raw materials such as lithium, raw earths or
graphite.
In September 2022, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a Critical Raw Materials Act that should boost the resilience of supply chains and reduce dependencies. However, as most of the competencies in the area of mining lie within the member states, additional measures on the national level are needed.
According to a
study by the German Institute for Economic Research, Germany is 100% dependent on foreign suppliers for 21 out of 27 raw materials that are deemed critical.
To reduce these dependencies, the German government outlined three key areas of action.
First, Berlin is placing its bets on the circular economy and the recycling of these raw materials, as well as increasing resource efficiency. At the moment, Germany is only recycling around 13.4% of materials, though the European Commission proposed to double these numbers – a move enthusiastically received by the German government.
However, as products are only eligible for recycling at the end of their life cycle and will thus lag behind the
skyrocketing demand increase, Germany is further betting on diversifying the supply chain and increasing extraction of critical raw materials on its home turf.
To boost the extraction of critical raw materials on German soil, the government plans to revamp the federal mining regulation to facilitate the extraction of domestic raw materials and ensure high ecological standards.
*While Germany is increasing its emphasis on domestic extraction of raw materials, such a localised approach should only be prioritised if it leads to “better environmental and social standards and strengthens the resilience of supply chains”, the document reads.
While Berlin will continue to be reliant on imports, the government aims to diversify the number of countries it imports these materials from. To move beyond its dependency on single-supplier countries, such as China, Germany will seek to build strategic partnerships with states such as
Chile, Australia or Canada, the document states.
However, whether critical raw materials are eligible for being imported from certain countries will largely depend on their adherence to environmental, social and governance standards (ESG).
As such, diversification will only be possible if other international players adhere to these standards, the document argues. Germany will thus push for the adoption of international ESG standards with like-minded countries across the globe.
....
Germany and France have outlined their priorities for the EU’s upcoming Critical Raw Materials Act in a position paper that aims at boosting the resilience of supply chains and decreasing Europe’s dependence on foreign suppliers like China. "
https://www.euractiv.com/section/ec...aw-materials-strategy-to-tackle-dependencies/
Only unfortunately this country is politically almost blind and probably does not find the solution even when it sits in the face
(think of Finland and lithium above or us and Sweden) Sweden - what is it?
An example that NIMBYs exist not only in Norrbotten but govern us:
*While Germany is increasing its emphasis on domestic extraction of raw materials, such a localised approach should only be prioritised if it leads to “better environmental and social standards and strengthens the resilience of supply chains”, the document reads.
In other words, if a country in Europe promotes raw materials with the same European guidelines Germany will not get its fingers dirty. This is perfidious German policy and the reason why I am very glad that Germany is subordinated to the EU and its interests.
Germany hardly mines anything itself anymore. Mining is at an end. And if a country with the same standards as each other EU land mines e.g. lithium as Germany could or if the standards are ok somewhere in the world then Germany will not support or promote mining in its own country. This should also have an influence on VUL I think.
This country is one big NIMBY. Store CO²? No way in our country...