Until recently, the charming village of Échassières – 377 inhabitants – was never talked about.
But, since October 2022, the giant Imerys, which has already been operating the kaolin quarry locally for 150 years, has announced its intention to set up a lithium mine within four years.
This rare ore, essential for the manufacture of batteries, is present in the Bourbonnais subsoil in “attractive quantities”.
It would be extracted at a rate of 34,000 tonnes per year, which would make it possible to equip around 700,000 electric vehicles per year, for a minimum period of 25 years.
On paper, the project looks like a goose that lays golden eggs.
The Échassières deposit is presented as one of the most important in Europe.
600 direct jobs are announced, 1,000 including indirect jobs.
“It is a real opportunity for the territory and more broadly for the country to have such a deposit.
Today, we look for lithium in China, Australia or South America, which makes Europe totally dependent on these countries.
Without forgetting that the environmental and social rules for extraction in most of these countries are not transparent,” argues Alan Parte, vice-president of lithium projects at Imerys.
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