Raw materials are critical for batteries (we need circular economy)

Raw materials that are economically important and have a high supply risk are called critical raw materials. These critical raw materials are essential to the production of a wide variety of products in our daily lives. They are fundamental components of the ecological transition because they are essential to the manufacture of green technologies, and will enable us to move towards climate neutrality in 2050, as envisaged by the European Green Deal.

Raw materials are essential for batteries

Among these technologies: electric batteries. In 2020, the EU added lithium, found in batteries, to its list of critical raw materials - essential for the future of electric mobility.

Current projections indicate that global demand for critical raw materials such as rare earths and lithium will soon exceed global supply. According to a report by the European Commission, “for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage, the EU would need up to 18 times more lithium and 5 times more cobalt in 2030, and almost 60 times more lithium and 15 times more cobalt in 2050, compared to the current supply to the whole EU economy. If not addressed, this increase in demand may lead to supply issues”.

Policies and initiatives of raw materials in Europe

Asia has a dominant position in the supply of raw materials, essential for the production of our batteries. The guarantee of an adequate supply of critical raw materials is of paramount importance to ensure Europe's ecological transition.

The European Commission wants to set up a "European regulation on critical raw materials" including in particular supply chain, value chain, circularity or sustainability.

Battery recycling as a major source of raw materials

Gouach strongly believes in battery recycling as a major source of critical metals.

The growing need for resources is putting pressure on our planet. Scaling up the circular economy will be vital to achieve the necessary supply of critical metals. This is why Gouach has thought about eco-design since the conception of its batteries, and proposes a modular product where each lithium cell can be easily exchanged and recycled.

Indeed, end-of-life cells are made available individually to recycling organizations, and not as a battery pack, which allows them to facilitate the recycling process, but also to optimize the recycling rates and thus obtain elements of higher purity.

The implementation of the circular economy within the battery industry will allow the reuse of resources, within planetary limits.