France expressed interest on Friday in partnering with Chili to exploit the lithiuma key mineral in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles, and for this it offers technology that allows to reduce the consumption of water in the extraction process.
“We are in Chile to talk (…) about the association that we can start in order to contribute to the Chilean adventure of extracting and exploiting lithium” and thus satisfy European and French needs, Olivier Becht, French Minister in charge of Foreign Trade, told AFP on Friday, visiting Santiago.
According to the senior official, large factories are being built in the north of France to manufacture electric batteries.
“But there is no use building large battery factories if we do not have the materials to manufacture them, and one of the main components is lithium”Becht assured, recalling that Chile has the world’s largest reserves of this mineral.
The minister in charge of Foreign Trade, after assuring that there is a lot of competition for Chilean lithium, argued that his country has a technological offer “totally different” to which other countries and companies may raise.
“Thanks to companies like Eramet or Geolith, we have the possibility of extracting lithium, considerably reducing water consumption”Becht noted.
In late April, Boric announced the National Lithium Strategy as the world seeks to move away from fossil fuels in the face of the climate crisis.
The plan foresees a public-private alliance, with the State present throughout the production chain through a future National Lithium Company.
Currently, through a system of concessions, two private companies extract lithium from the Atacama salt flat, 1,700 km north of Santiago.
During his visit to Chile, Olivier Becht met with the Chilean Ministers of Mining, Marcela Hernando; of Energy, Diego Pardow; of Transport, Juan Carlos Muñoz, and with that of Economy, Nicolás Grau.
The official also spoke with the Chilean authorities about the cooperation between the two countries for the production of green hydrogen.
Source: AFP
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
