Australia-listed lithium developer Infinity Lithium has said its San José project in Spain has been tipped to become a “cornerstone” of the European Battery Alliance (EBA).
Infinity has revealed it has held talks with “senior institutional representatives” from key players in the Spanish and wider European lithium-ion battery chain in Madrid.
Now the EU-backed EBA is set to visit the San José site ahead of commercial talks towards setting up a “battery mining and refining belt” initiative to secure raw materials for future battery cell production in Europe, Infinity said.
“San José’s unique opportunity to provide critical raw materials and refined lithium chemicals within the EU has the potential to act as a beacon of investment for Spain and specifically for the region of Extremadura,” Infinity said in an Australian Securities Exchange statement.
Last December, Infinity unveiled a scoping study for its San José project, including the production of battery grade lithium hydroxide. The company said that initial funding in the order of US$288.3 million would likely be required as start-up capital for the project.
A new batteries research and innovation forum— the Batteries Europe Platform— was launched last month by EU energy chief Maroš Šefčovič to support EBA activities.