The Spanish EU Council Presidency is warning the international community against becoming dependent on China in lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells. Without suitable countermeasures, the… EU by 2030 they will become just as dependent on China as they are for their energy supply Russia before the war in the Ukraine experts warn in a strategy paper prepared for the heads of state and government of the EU. It is intended to form the basis for discussions about Europe’s economic security at the EU summit in Granada, Spain, at the beginning of October.
The paper says Europe will need energy storage to meet its goal of zero greenhouse gases by 2050 due to intermittent wind and solar power. This will increase EU demand for lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells and electrolyzers needed in hydrogen technology by 10 to 30 times in the coming years.
Significant weaknesses
“Without the implementation of effective measures, by 2030 the European energy ecosystem could end up in a dependency on China that is different but similar in severity to that of Russia before its invasion of Ukraine,” the paper’s authors write. The EU has a strong position in the production of electrolyzers, but is heavily dependent on China for fuel cells and lithium-ion batteries, which are needed for electric cars.
Lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells are not the only areas in which the EU is vulnerable, the paper continues. A similar scenario could exist with digital technologies. Forecasts indicate that demand for sensors, drones, servers, storage devices and data transmission networks will rise sharply this decade. The EU has a relatively strong position when it comes to networks, but has considerable weaknesses in other areas.
Just a few days ago, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (64) had an investigation into state support for electric cars from China initiated. “The price of these cars is artificially depressed by huge government subsidies – this distorts our market,” said von der Leyen, justifying the decision. That is not acceptable. World markets would be flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars.