Portuguese Lithium Deposits Boost EU's Auto Battery PlansPortuguese Lithium Deposits Boost EU's Auto Battery Plans

Europe’s hopes of accelerating its domestic auto battery production receives a boost with news that lithium deposits in Portugal are thought to be much larger than first thought.

Mining company Savannah Resources says its Barroso lithium project in northern Portugal suggests high-grade lithium deposits are greater than the previously estimated 28 million metric tons, Reuters reports.

The company wants to build four open-pit mines in the region to extract enough lithium annually to build up to 1 million battery packs for electric vehicles ready for commercial output in 2027.

Savannah has said that Barroso's deposit of spodumene, an important source of lithium, is already the biggest in Europe.

In a statement, the company said the results indicated that significant follow-up targets existed on the project's licensed areas, as well as the potential to extend the five known ore deposits.

The European Union is working to reduce dependence on countries such as China for strategic raw materials. However, the Barroso project is meeting opposition from local residents and environmentalists who are forming protests, mounting legal challenges and refusing to sell their land.

Yet, company CEO Emanuel Proenca says Savannah is firmly focused on the necessary steps to enable the project's startup.

“The results from the surface exploration which our team undertook are truly exciting," says Proenca. "The early conclusion is very clear: the Barroso lithium project remains highly prospective for further spodumene lithium resource delineation.”