According to foreign media reports, on May 21st, Duarte Braga, CEO of the newly established Liftium company, announced that the company plans to build two lithium refining plants in Portugal and Spain on the Iberian Peninsula by 2030. These two factories will be located in Estarreja in northern Portugal and Torrelaverga in Cantabria, Spain, respectively, marking an important layout in Europe's electric vehicle battery supply chain.
The two lithium refining plants proposed by Liftium are expected to be completed in 2027 and 2030, with a total investment of approximately 1 billion euros. Among them, the main shareholders include Jose de Mello, one of Portugal's largest corporate groups, which owns the country's largest chemical producer Bondalti and private medical operator CUF.
Duarte Braga stated that Liftium plans to produce lithium hydroxide to power the batteries of one million electric vehicles annually, in order to meet the growing demand for clean energy and efficient batteries in the market.
In order to ensure the supply of raw materials, Liftium is planning to purchase raw materials from all over the world, including South America. Its main customers will be electric vehicle batteries and car manufacturers, which will benefit from the stable supply provided by Liftium's refineries in Europe.
This initiative by Liftium will have a profound impact on the European electric vehicle industry, not only strengthening the stability and reliability of local supply chains, but also setting a new benchmark for Europe in the fields of clean energy and sustainable development.
