The Spanish Presidency of the EU Council warns the international community against China’s dependence on lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells. Without countermeasures, the EU could become as dependent on China by 2030 as it was on Russia’s energy supplies before the war in Ukraine, according to a strategy paper prepared for EU heads of state and government and seen by the Portal news agency. gift.
EU demand could increase 30 times
It is intended to form the basis for discussions on Europe’s economic security at the EU summit in Granada, Spain, in early October. The document states that Europe will need energy storage to meet its target of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 due to intermittent wind and solar energy. This will increase EU demand for lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells and electrolysers needed in hydrogen technology by ten to 30 times in the coming years.
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“Without the implementation of effective measures, by 2030 the European energy ecosystem could end up in a dependence on China that is different, but similar in severity, to that of Russia before the invasion of Ukraine,” he said. The EU has a strong position in electrolyzer production, but relies heavily on China for fuel cells and lithium-ion batteries needed for electric cars.
Lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells are also not the only areas where the EU is vulnerable, the paper says. A similar scenario could exist with digital technologies. Forecasts indicate that demand for sensors, drones, servers, storage devices and data transmission networks will increase sharply this decade. The EU has a relatively strong position when it comes to networks, but has significant weaknesses in other areas.