TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-sufficiency of the European Union in critical raw materials for E-mobility
AU - Koese, Maarten
AU - Parzer, Michael
AU - Sprecher, Benjamin
AU - Kleijn, René
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Widespread adoption of electric vehicles poses challenges due to critical raw material (CRM) requirements. The European Union (EU) is now dependent on other countries for supply of these materials, but wants to increase self-sufficiency for primary extraction to 10 % in 2030. Here we map and quantify Europe's raw material reserves and resources, revealing promising deposits for most minerals. Our analysis indicates that, assuming a high development scenario, for lithium, nickel and copper the planned extraction in Europe is sufficient to meet at least 10 % ofdemand for E-mobility in 2030, as the EU's proposed target dictates. The projected extraction of cobalt, natural graphite and REE, will probably not reach 10 % of the demand in 2030. For REE there is no European production projected. To meet these targets and increase the EU's self-sufficiency, CRM extraction in Europe needs to increase, in parallel with implementing circular economy efforts to reduce material demand.
AB - Widespread adoption of electric vehicles poses challenges due to critical raw material (CRM) requirements. The European Union (EU) is now dependent on other countries for supply of these materials, but wants to increase self-sufficiency for primary extraction to 10 % in 2030. Here we map and quantify Europe's raw material reserves and resources, revealing promising deposits for most minerals. Our analysis indicates that, assuming a high development scenario, for lithium, nickel and copper the planned extraction in Europe is sufficient to meet at least 10 % ofdemand for E-mobility in 2030, as the EU's proposed target dictates. The projected extraction of cobalt, natural graphite and REE, will probably not reach 10 % of the demand in 2030. For REE there is no European production projected. To meet these targets and increase the EU's self-sufficiency, CRM extraction in Europe needs to increase, in parallel with implementing circular economy efforts to reduce material demand.
KW - Critical raw materials
KW - E-mobility
KW - Resource use
KW - Self-sufficiency
KW - Strategic autonomy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85208680752&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.108009
DO - 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.108009
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85208680752
SN - 0921-3449
VL - 212
JO - Resources, Conservation and Recycling
JF - Resources, Conservation and Recycling
M1 - 108009
ER -