How can the ecosystem overcome the current challenges and risks for European battery production?

Save the date for this year’s final Battery Live Talk looking out into the year 2023 and beyond, with special guests from industry, politics and research.

We will look back at the achievements and key milestones of the European battery ecosystem in 2022 and discuss how it can address current challenges and looming risks. Special focus will be on key issues concerning energy and raw materials, that urgently need to be tackled.

What will be addressed?

• What is the status quo of the European battery ecosystem? How does it cope with the current challenges and how can the most pressing issues be tackled in 2023?
• Has Europe lost the race regarding raw material access and competitive energy prices?
• Is a production of battery cells without using lithium and cobalt realisable from a long term perspective?
• Is a supply chain resilience and a domestic production of critical raw materials enough to sustain European battery industry? Or is a circular economy approach necessary in addition?

According to a recent analysis from Reuters, the world's top automakers are planning to spend nearly 1.2 trillion USD through 2030 to develop and produce millions of electric vehicles, along with the batteries and raw materials to support that production. This is more than twice the most recent calculation published just a year ago. Automakers have forecast plans to build 54 million battery electric vehicles in 2030, representing more than 50% of total vehicle production, according to the analysis. To support that unprecedented level of EVs, carmakers and their battery partners are planning to install 5.8 terawatt-hours of battery production capacity by 2030, according to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and the manufacturers.

In order to be part of this optimistic outlook, Europe must have an interest in a strong know-how and production base in battery cell manufacturing, because high-performance batteries are an important quality and differentiation feature for electric vehicles and the European automotive industry. Therefore, as part of two Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI), more than 40 companies throughout Europe strive to build up a sustainable battery value chain, forming the core of the battery ecosystem in Europe. Triggering investments of up to 28 bn EUR, battery production is scaled up and made strong for global competition.

But the success of European battery cell manufacturers is under high pressure due to high energy and raw material prices as well as aggressive industrial policies in the USA and China. In order to stabilise and build on the initial success of the European battery industry, the focus should be on the following points:

• Fair competitive conditions: Response to subsidies and market restrictions in the USA and China.
• Innovative battery technology: upscaling and improvement of current Next Generation technology
• Use of renewable energy sources for production of batteries
• Battery materials: mining, refining, active materials and recyclinng
• Production technology: machinery and digitalisation
• Human resource skills: harnessing skills and training along the entire value chain

Agenda

Opening & Introduction
Uwe Seidel, VDI/VDE-IT

Welcome Remarks
Birgit Hofmann, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action

Review 2022 & Outlook 2023: Views from the European Battery Ecosystem
Tilmann Vahle, Systemiq Deutschland; Stephanie Schenk, Systemiq Deutschland; Wouter Ghyoot, Umicore SA/NV; Silvia Delbono, Flash Battery
Moderator: Kerstin Zehbe, VDI/VDE-IT

European Battery Networks – Status quo and outlook
Stefan Wolf, VDI/VDE-IT

Focus topics: Energy and Raw Materials
Siyamend Al Barazi, Deutsche Rohstoffagentur (DERA); Steffen Blömeke, TU Braunschweig
Moderator: Mischa Bechberger, VDI/VDE-IT

Panel Discussion
Tilmann Vahle, Systemiq Deutschland; Stephanie Schenk, Systemiq Deutschland; Wouter Ghyoot, Umicore SA/NV; Silvia Delbono, Flash Battery; Siyamend Al Barazi, Deutsche Rohstoffagentur (DERA); Steffen Blömeke, TU Braunschweig; Torsten Brandenburg, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action

Closing remarks - Summary & Outlook
Torsten Brandenburg, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Uwe Seidel, VDI/VDE-IT
 

Join us to discuss all these issues in this special edition of our Battery Live Talk series. The event will feature short, insightful keynote presentations and an interactive panel discussion.