France’s largest lithium project is thrown into question by locals

A €1 billion lithium project due to become France’s largest mining operation in decades is provoking heated local debate.

Five months of public discussions in Allier – a former industrial heartland in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region – show the local population’s divide over the plan.

During 42 events organised by the nation’s commission for public debate (CNDP), residents have voiced their concerns over issues including potential water contamination, hefty energy consumption and chemicals used in the process to mine and process the materials.

Some also challenged the necessity of the project, through which the French mining company Imerys aims to supply enough lithium to produce batteries for more than 660,000 electric vehicles per year from 2028.

“There are still a lot of questions that remain unanswered,” said Jean-Michel Bricard, 62, a resident of Montluçon – one of several areas affected by the plans. 

Because of the input of more than 3,600 participants, “Imerys won’t be able to do whatever it wants,” he added at the presentation of the debate’s outcomes last week. “The project will have to stay within limits.”

In a bid to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the EU plans to ban the sale of new combustion cars by 2035 and convince its citizens to turn electric. That decision has honed the bloc’s focus on lithium, a key component of electric car batteries and a critical mineral on which Europe is almost completely dependent on China. 

To ramp up domestic lithium extraction, firms are pursuing plans to open up new mines in countries such as Germany, Austria and Portugal – which is the only significant producer to date.

But there have been significant pushbacks across the continent – most prominently in Serbia, where thousands took to the streets this summer after the government agreed to supply the EU through a new lithium project. 

Why is lithium important for French industries?

By gaining more control over the supply chain, exploiting its own lithium resources in the Allier region might render such tensions abroad less risky for France.

But the French public have not yet reached a clear consensus on the mining issue.

“For some people there are hopes for employment and the distribution of wealth. But others fear whether the environment will be protected over the long term,” said Marc Papinutti, 65, president of the CNDP.

“The good surprise is that all the debates interested the public,” he continued.

The Beauvoir site in Échassières was previously mined for the mineral Kaolin, used for tableware and tiles. Here, Imerys plans to extract granite underground and isolate the lithium-rich mica from it.

The minerals would then be loaded onto trains nearby and sent almost fifty kilometres to Saint-Victor in the Montluçon area, where the company plans to extract the lithium in a conversion plant.

But before any of these steps can get underway, Imerys, the electricity network operator RTE and the government must all respond to a long list of recommendations by the end of the year. 

The list includes everything from “Specify the measures taken to meet European targets for battery recycling” to “Discuss the possibility of involving citizens in the benefits of the project.” 

Locals have also asked for studies on more than a dozen potential impacts of the mine on aspects like air quality, the security of storing waste underground and tourism in the region.

“I hope that Imerys and RTE will make an effort to answer these questions quickly and take into account people’s wishes and requirements,” said Antoine Buscaglia, 24, whose parents live in Saint-Victor.

Considering the criticism against Imerys’s other mining projects abroad, he added, “It’s difficult to have trust.”

In a statement to Euronews, Imerys praised the discussions during the debate and spoke of a “shared objective… to respond to the ecological transition challenges of tomorrow in the most responsible and exemplary way.” The company will now “take note of the conclusions.”  

A ‘project of major national interest’

Despite local doubts, the French government has already taken steps to accelerate the project. In July, it labelled the plans a “Projet d’Intérêt National Majeur” – a project of major national interest.

The label allows Imerys to get administrative approval quicker, as France views it as either important for the ecological transition or the national sovereignty. Or, in the case of lithium: both.

The national institution for geological surveys says it expects the majority of lithium potential in the country to be found in Beauvoir.

Extracting it could provide a competitive advantage for the country’s car industry and put it on track to meet President Macron’s goal of producing two million electric and hybrid vehicles by 2030.

Despite the extensive recommendations that have emerged from the local debates, some critics are convinced that their non-binding nature will not sway the government’s support of the mine. 

“They’re going to make it look like it’s already been decided so that there’s no need for people to mobilise,” claimed Julien Hochart, 43, an activist whose organisation successfully stopped new gold-mining proposals in the bordering department.

Now, they want to stop lithium: “We won, so it’s only natural for us to help others.”