Germany Chancellor plans lithium deal with Serbia after Rio ruling
Olaf Scholz plans to visit Serbia this week to secure supplies of lithium that are critical for the nation’s energy transition and auto industry.
A court in the Canadian province of Quebec on Friday blocked a green group’s bid to temporarily halt the construction of a $5.2 billion plant by Swedish lithium-ion battery maker Northvolt, the group said.
The Centre quebecois du droit de l’environnement (CQDE) wanted a 10-day injunction over concerns about the destruction of wetlands and the felling of thousands of trees.
In a statement, the group said it would consult with lawyers on whether it could ask for another injunction.
Northvolt “now has the choice to continue its work or to take note of the repeated requests from civil society” and submit the project to an independent environmental assessment, it said.
Northvolt said it had met numerous strict conditions in order to obtain a permit to build the plant.
“In light of the court’s favorable decision, we will continue preparatory work,” a spokesperson said by email.
Last September, the lithium-ion battery maker announced that it would open a $5.2 billion gigafactory in Quebec, the largest-ever investment in the Canadian province.
Canadian Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the ruling would allow construction to resume.
“We chose Northvolt to build the world’s greenest batteries in Quebec, because it’s a partner who shares our values of environmental protection,” he said in a post on X.
Canada, home to a large mining sector for minerals critical for battery production, has pledged billions in incentives to woo companies involved in all levels of the EV supply chain as the world seeks to cut carbon emissions.
(By Divya Rajagopal, Steve Scherer and Ismail Shakil; Editing by David Ljunggren)
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