Exploration and Mining

This platform will deliver global information on Li ore deposits, related data, current projects and players, with a focus on the European potential.

Research activities

Overview of research project and networks on Li deposits
Identification of scientific gaps
=> proposals for research axes
Ore deposit databases
Initiating research projects

Industry activities

Overview of Lithium exploration projects in Europe
External links to European industry
Data on tonnage | grade | ore types for European Li deposits
Metallogenic models and predictivity maps and exploration guidelines

Education activities

Li ore deposits short course proposal
Best practices concerning mining methods
applied to Li extraction
Drafting of guidelines to increase the
awareness of the European public

Overview on European Li Resources

Lithium is relatively abundant in Europe:

500 Li occurrences identified up to date
Various deposit types
28 deposits evaluated
>15 companies involved
Estimate for European Li resources: > 8.8 Mt of Li₂O

Overview on European Li Exploration Licenses

The lithium exploration licences map has been realized from available official published data on exploration permits for lithium granted by governments. A minimum of 217 valid exploration licences for lithium is currently registered. At the European scale, these data show a relatively well-distributed exploration activity, which is an interesting element in a close supply perspective between the sources of primary Lithium resources and consumption centers. Several countries, despite a high potential, are still poorly covered by exploration permits, Austria and France among others.

Ongoing EU-funded projects