The EU will fast-track lithium processing in Portugal to develop an Energy Highway
- Valerie Charoux
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Renewable Energy News Europe - Ursula von der Leyen has just announced that the EU will fast-track lithium processing in Portugal to develop an EU Energy Highway. This follows the discovery that Portugal has the largest reserve of lithium spodumene in Europe, according to Savannah Resources.
Speaking in Brussels at a conference about the need for significant investment to ensure the European Union's economic competitiveness, Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU would secure financial support and fast-track licenses for lithium processing in Portugal.
Ursula von der Leyen promised to invest in the necessary electrical interconnections on the Iberian Peninsula to create an energy island in the EU.
While 70% of European electricity comes from low-carbon sources, the EU has many projects underway such as the “Bay of Biscay” project, which will double the capacity between France and Spain.
Lithium processing fast-tracked in Portugal to develop an EU Energy Highway:
Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement that the EU will fast-track lithium processing in Portugal comes in the wake of the discovery of larger quantities in lithium in Portugal.
Savannah Resources just announced that the lithium discovered in the district of Vila Real in northern Portugal could power 47 million electric cars – that would be the equivalent of eliminating the oil consumption of the entire vehicle fleet currently in circulation in Portugal, France and the Netherlands.
Portugal becomes the largest reserve of lithium spodumene in Europe:
The British company stated that confirmed lithium resources at the Barroso mine in Vila Real have increased by 40%, now standing at 39 million tons.
According to Savannah Resources, this discovery represents the largest reserve of lithium spodumene in Europe.
The Barroso lithium mine in northern Portugal obtained a conditional Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in 2023, and Savannah expects to begin production in 2027.
The Barroso lithium mine in Portugal is considered a strategic project by the European Commission since March 2025.
