[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":730},["ShallowReactive",2],{"ticker-data":3,"story-article/europe-needs-to-step-up-its-game-to-compete-in-global-battery-industry-sefcovic-says":540},[4,52,82,112,148,186,228,259,296,328,371,412,450,481,510],{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":8,"today":9,"last":10,"percentageChange":11,"yearToDate":12,"yearOnYear":13,"oneYearIndexTrend":14,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-05-27","2wk","Updated every 2 weeks","Lithium",411.01,408.51,0.61,75.85,175.57,[15,16,18,21,24,27,30,33,36,39,42,45],{"date":5,"value":9},{"date":17,"value":10},"2026-05-13",{"date":19,"value":20},"2026-04-29",372.51,{"date":22,"value":23},"2026-04-15",354.35,{"date":25,"value":26},"2026-04-01",346.55,{"date":28,"value":29},"2026-03-18",351.32,{"date":31,"value":32},"2026-03-04",346.6,{"date":34,"value":35},"2026-02-18",324,{"date":37,"value":38},"2026-02-04",337.67,{"date":40,"value":41},"2026-01-21",298.32,{"date":43,"value":44},"2026-01-07",233.73,{"date":46,"value":47},"2025-12-24",203.79,"/lithium/prices",null,false,true,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":53,"today":54,"last":55,"percentageChange":56,"yearToDate":57,"yearOnYear":58,"oneYearIndexTrend":59,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Carbonate",449.85,451.12,-0.28,77.12,181.56,[60,61,62,64,66,68,70,72,74,76,78,80],{"date":5,"value":54},{"date":17,"value":55},{"date":19,"value":63},404.38,{"date":22,"value":65},381.25,{"date":25,"value":67},371.52,{"date":28,"value":69},373.01,{"date":31,"value":71},366.63,{"date":34,"value":73},349.17,{"date":37,"value":75},356.81,{"date":40,"value":77},316.73,{"date":43,"value":79},253.98,{"date":46,"value":81},220.12,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":83,"today":84,"last":85,"percentageChange":86,"yearToDate":87,"yearOnYear":88,"oneYearIndexTrend":89,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Hydroxide",358.35,350.28,2.3,76.32,168.94,[90,91,92,94,96,98,100,102,104,106,108,110],{"date":5,"value":84},{"date":17,"value":85},{"date":19,"value":93},328.09,{"date":22,"value":95},316.95,{"date":25,"value":97},311.86,{"date":28,"value":99},321.41,{"date":31,"value":101},319.14,{"date":34,"value":103},295.42,{"date":37,"value":105},310,{"date":40,"value":107},270.4,{"date":43,"value":109},203.24,{"date":46,"value":111},177.17,{"publishedDate":19,"updateFrequency":113,"updateFrequencyText":114,"label":115,"today":116,"last":117,"percentageChange":118,"yearToDate":119,"yearOnYear":120,"oneYearIndexTrend":121,"url":147,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"1wk","Updated every week","Cobalt",244.61,252.61,-3.17,3.99,97.72,[122,123,124,127,129,132,133,136,138,141,143,146],{"date":19,"value":116},{"date":25,"value":117},{"date":125,"value":126},"2026-03-25",252.45,{"date":28,"value":128},252.84,{"date":130,"value":131},"2026-03-11",253.48,{"date":31,"value":126},{"date":134,"value":135},"2026-02-25",256.64,{"date":34,"value":137},255.58,{"date":139,"value":140},"2026-02-11",253.31,{"date":37,"value":142},252.26,{"date":144,"value":145},"2026-01-28",241.15,{"date":40,"value":145},"/cobalt/prices",{"publishedDate":149,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":150,"today":151,"last":152,"percentageChange":153,"yearToDate":154,"yearOnYear":155,"oneYearIndexTrend":156,"url":185,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-05-20","Nickel",135.83,133.05,2.09,12.5,30.68,[157,158,160,163,166,168,170,172,174,176,179,182],{"date":149,"value":151},{"date":159,"value":152},"2026-05-06",{"date":161,"value":162},"2026-04-22",125.43,{"date":164,"value":165},"2026-04-08",124.51,{"date":125,"value":167},123.94,{"date":130,"value":169},123.51,{"date":134,"value":171},122.7,{"date":139,"value":173},123.79,{"date":144,"value":175},128.07,{"date":177,"value":178},"2026-01-14",120.74,{"date":180,"value":181},"2025-12-31",104.29,{"date":183,"value":184},"2025-12-17",103.44,"/nickel/prices",{"publishedDate":187,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":189,"today":190,"last":191,"percentageChange":192,"yearToDate":193,"yearOnYear":194,"oneYearIndexTrend":195,"url":227,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-04-30","monthly","Natural Graphite",82.93,82.39,0.66,1.66,-0.87,[196,197,199,202,205,207,210,212,215,218,221,224],{"date":187,"value":190},{"date":198,"value":191},"2026-03-31",{"date":200,"value":201},"2026-02-27",81.92,{"date":203,"value":204},"2026-01-30",81.69,{"date":180,"value":206},81.58,{"date":208,"value":209},"2025-11-28",81.35,{"date":211,"value":209},"2025-10-31",{"date":213,"value":214},"2025-09-30",81.74,{"date":216,"value":217},"2025-08-29",81.56,{"date":219,"value":220},"2025-07-31",82.47,{"date":222,"value":223},"2025-06-30",83.13,{"date":225,"value":226},"2025-05-30",83.77,"/natural-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":187,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":229,"today":230,"last":231,"percentageChange":232,"yearToDate":233,"yearOnYear":234,"oneYearIndexTrend":235,"url":258,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Anode Coke",84.01,79.79,5.29,12.86,12.75,[236,237,238,240,242,244,246,248,250,252,254,256],{"date":187,"value":230},{"date":198,"value":231},{"date":200,"value":239},75.72,{"date":203,"value":241},74.61,{"date":180,"value":243},74.44,{"date":208,"value":245},76,{"date":211,"value":247},72.75,{"date":213,"value":249},71.92,{"date":216,"value":251},71.46,{"date":219,"value":253},70.35,{"date":222,"value":255},67.35,{"date":225,"value":257},65.78,"/synthetic-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":260,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":261,"today":262,"last":263,"percentageChange":264,"yearToDate":265,"yearOnYear":265,"oneYearIndexTrend":266,"url":295,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2025-11-17","Anode",77.79,77.96,-0.22,-1.93,[267,268,270,272,274,277,280,282,284,287,290,292],{"date":260,"value":262},{"date":269,"value":263},"2025-10-15",{"date":271,"value":263},"2025-09-15",{"date":273,"value":263},"2025-08-15",{"date":275,"value":276},"2025-07-15",77.93,{"date":278,"value":279},"2025-06-16",78.88,{"date":281,"value":279},"2025-05-15",{"date":283,"value":279},"2025-04-15",{"date":285,"value":286},"2025-03-17",79.89,{"date":288,"value":289},"2025-02-17",78.97,{"date":291,"value":289},"2025-01-15",{"date":293,"value":294},"2024-12-16",79.32,"/anode/prices",{"publishedDate":297,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":298,"today":299,"last":300,"percentageChange":301,"yearToDate":301,"yearOnYear":302,"oneYearIndexTrend":303,"url":327,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-01-15","Cathode",72.79,64.08,13.59,43.38,[304,305,307,309,311,313,315,317,318,320,322,325],{"date":297,"value":299},{"date":306,"value":300},"2025-12-15",{"date":260,"value":308},62.01,{"date":269,"value":310},53.51,{"date":271,"value":312},49.5,{"date":273,"value":314},47.28,{"date":275,"value":316},46.05,{"date":278,"value":316},{"date":281,"value":319},48.08,{"date":283,"value":321},48.92,{"date":323,"value":324},"2025-03-18",52.79,{"date":288,"value":326},50.86,"/cathode/prices",{"publishedDate":329,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":330,"today":331,"last":332,"percentageChange":333,"yearToDate":334,"yearOnYear":335,"oneYearIndexTrend":336,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2025-03-31","Lithium ion Batteries",74.53,71.3,4.53,-1.6,-20.88,[337,338,340,343,346,349,352,355,358,361,364,367],{"date":329,"value":331},{"date":339,"value":332},"2025-02-28",{"date":341,"value":342},"2025-01-31",71.45,{"date":344,"value":345},"2024-12-31",75.74,{"date":347,"value":348},"2024-11-29",76.98,{"date":350,"value":351},"2024-10-31",77.34,{"date":353,"value":354},"2024-09-30",77.43,{"date":356,"value":357},"2024-08-30",80.56,{"date":359,"value":360},"2024-07-31",82.99,{"date":362,"value":363},"2024-06-28",87.2,{"date":365,"value":366},"2024-05-31",90.7,{"date":368,"value":369},"2024-04-30",93.2,"/battery-gigafactory/prices",{"publishedDate":372,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":373,"today":374,"last":375,"percentageChange":376,"yearToDate":377,"yearOnYear":378,"oneYearIndexTrend":379,"url":411,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-05-21","Black Mass",54.15,51.47,5.21,25.5,92.33,[380,381,383,386,389,392,395,398,401,404,406,408],{"date":372,"value":374},{"date":382,"value":375},"2026-05-07",{"date":384,"value":385},"2026-04-23",48.63,{"date":387,"value":388},"2026-04-09",48.6,{"date":390,"value":391},"2026-03-26",47.29,{"date":393,"value":394},"2026-03-12",46.18,{"date":396,"value":397},"2026-02-26",45.8,{"date":399,"value":400},"2026-02-12",47.34,{"date":402,"value":403},"2026-01-29",49.57,{"date":297,"value":405},43.15,{"date":180,"value":407},47.05,{"date":409,"value":410},"2025-12-18",41.51,"/recycling/black-mass-prices",{"publishedDate":413,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":414,"today":415,"last":416,"percentageChange":417,"yearToDate":418,"yearOnYear":419,"oneYearIndexTrend":420,"url":449,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-03-19","Rare Earths",172.27,182.38,-5.54,20.73,54.49,[421,422,424,427,430,432,435,437,440,443,445,447],{"date":413,"value":415},{"date":423,"value":416},"2026-03-05",{"date":425,"value":426},"2026-02-19",179.86,{"date":428,"value":429},"2026-02-05",155.4,{"date":431,"value":429},"2026-01-22",{"date":433,"value":434},"2026-01-08",145.37,{"date":46,"value":436},142.69,{"date":438,"value":439},"2025-12-11",141.67,{"date":441,"value":442},"2025-11-27",136.29,{"date":211,"value":444},132.15,{"date":213,"value":446},139.82,{"date":216,"value":448},145.27,"/rare-earths/prices",{"publishedDate":213,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":451,"today":452,"last":453,"percentageChange":454,"yearToDate":455,"yearOnYear":456,"oneYearIndexTrend":457,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"LFP",111.93,124.92,-10.4,-2.67,-3.42,[458,459,460,462,464,466,469,471,473,475,477,479],{"date":213,"value":452},{"date":216,"value":453},{"date":219,"value":461},109.9,{"date":222,"value":463},100.47,{"date":225,"value":465},103.62,{"date":467,"value":468},"2025-04-30",109.47,{"date":329,"value":470},115.87,{"date":339,"value":472},117.3,{"date":341,"value":474},114.57,{"date":344,"value":476},115,{"date":347,"value":478},117.82,{"date":350,"value":480},111.9,{"publishedDate":213,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":482,"today":483,"last":484,"percentageChange":485,"yearToDate":486,"yearOnYear":487,"oneYearIndexTrend":488,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM High-Nickel",99.44,96.91,2.61,2.37,-3.84,[489,490,491,493,495,497,499,501,503,505,506,508],{"date":213,"value":483},{"date":216,"value":484},{"date":219,"value":492},97.09,{"date":222,"value":494},94.93,{"date":225,"value":496},97.13,{"date":467,"value":498},97.89,{"date":329,"value":500},101.4,{"date":339,"value":502},93.25,{"date":341,"value":504},98.94,{"date":344,"value":496},{"date":347,"value":507},98.69,{"date":350,"value":509},101.87,{"publishedDate":213,"updateFrequency":188,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":511,"today":512,"last":513,"percentageChange":514,"yearToDate":515,"yearOnYear":516,"oneYearIndexTrend":517,"url":370,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM Mid-Nickel",103.5,99.73,3.78,13.78,6.78,[518,519,520,522,524,526,528,530,532,534,536,538],{"date":213,"value":512},{"date":216,"value":513},{"date":219,"value":521},99.19,{"date":222,"value":523},96.02,{"date":225,"value":525},98.23,{"date":467,"value":527},99.24,{"date":329,"value":529},101.29,{"date":339,"value":531},87.61,{"date":341,"value":533},92.44,{"date":344,"value":535},90.96,{"date":347,"value":537},92.24,{"date":350,"value":539},95.09,{"id":541,"uuid":542,"name":543,"slug":544,"full_slug":545,"content":546,"relatedArticles":728,"relatedVideos":729},112471597017732,"78066e42-377a-46ea-b971-444bf8528a9c","Europe needs to “step up” its game to compete in global battery industry Šefčovič says","europe-needs-to-step-up-its-game-to-compete-in-global-battery-industry-sefcovic-says","article/europe-needs-to-step-up-its-game-to-compete-in-global-battery-industry-sefcovic-says",{"_uid":547,"date":548,"tags":549,"editor":559,"content":569,"excerpt":704,"featured":51,"reporter":705,"_editable":709,"component":710,"seo_title":543,"categories":711,"visibility":721,"author_company":49,"featured_image":722,"seo_description":704,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":726,"formattedArticleDate":727},"9a854fdc-1e77-40d2-a85f-3cdb93f79888","2023-03-28 00:00",[550,553,556],{"slug":551,"name":552},"battery-gigafactories-europe-2023","Battery Gigafactories Europe 2023",{"slug":554,"name":555},"europe","Europe",{"slug":557,"name":558},"policy","Policy",[560],{"slug":561,"name":562,"content":563},"matthew-bird","Matthew Bird",{"job_title":564,"image":565,"bio":567,"linkedin":568},"Senior Editor - Supply Chains & Data Visualisation",{"filename":566},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/14738033ec/matthew-bird.jpeg","Matthew writes, edits and produces content for Benchmark Intelligence and Benchmark Source across the whole mine to grid supply chain. He also acts as a liaison to the press. He has a PhD in electrochemistry from the University of Nottingham.","https://www.linkedin.com/in/birdmatthew/",{"type":570,"content":571},"doc",[572,579,594,599,604,609,614,619,628,635,640,645,650,655,660,665,677,682,687,694,699],{"type":573,"attrs":574,"content":575},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[576],{"text":577,"type":578},"Europe needs to “step up” its game at both EU and national level to remain competitive in the face of high energy prices and the threat from US climate subsidies, Maroš Šefčovič, the Vice President of the European Commission, warned. ","text",{"type":573,"attrs":580,"content":581},{"textAlign":49},[582,584,592],{"text":583,"type":578},"The region needs to be able to compete on a level playing field and also to secure supplies of ",{"text":585,"type":578,"marks":586},"critical minerals",[587],{"type":588,"attrs":589},"link",{"href":590,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":591},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/how-achievable-are-the-eu-critical-raw-materials-targets","url",{"text":593,"type":578},", he told the Benchmark Gigafactories Europe conference in Budapest. ",{"type":573,"attrs":595,"content":596},{"textAlign":49},[597],{"text":598,"type":578},"“The only way to ensure that the EU remains a global battery front runner is to step up our game at both EU and national level,” Šefčovič said. ",{"type":573,"attrs":600,"content":601},{"textAlign":49},[602],{"text":603,"type":578},"The warning comes as high energy prices have crippled Europe’s heavy industry, leading to the closure of aluminium plants across the continent, and threatening to increase the costs of investment in new battery plants, which are energy-intensive. ",{"type":573,"attrs":605,"content":606},{"textAlign":49},[607],{"text":608,"type":578},"At the same time, the US Inflation Reduction Act is attracting investment away from Europe, by offering generous incentives to produce batteries in the US. as well as mine and process critical minerals. ",{"type":573,"attrs":610,"content":611},{"textAlign":49},[612],{"text":613,"type":578},"“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has led to rising electricity prices and inflation, posing serious problems for the competitiveness of Europe’s energy intensive battery industry,” he said. “This has been aggravated by increasingly assertive economic policies around the world.”",{"type":573,"attrs":615,"content":616},{"textAlign":49},[617],{"text":618,"type":578},"“We need to create a level playing field that builds technological bridges, not barriers across the Atlantic,” Šefčovič added, noting that Europe is working closely with the US to minimise the negative impacts of the IRA on European competitiveness.",{"type":573,"attrs":620,"content":621},{"textAlign":49},[622],{"type":623,"attrs":624},"image",{"id":49,"alt":625,"src":626,"title":49,"source":49,"copyright":49,"meta_data":627},"","https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/7e05e1839a/bm-eu-production-percent.jpg",{},{"type":629,"attrs":630,"content":632},"heading",{"level":631,"textAlign":49},4,[633],{"text":634,"type":578},"Urgency on critical raw materials",{"type":573,"attrs":636,"content":637},{"textAlign":49},[638],{"text":639,"type":578},"Europe also faces high land and permitting costs that are also hindering its ability to produce key battery raw materials, Šefčovič said.",{"type":573,"attrs":641,"content":642},{"textAlign":49},[643],{"text":644,"type":578},"The EU currently produces only 1% of key battery raw materials, he said. ",{"type":573,"attrs":646,"content":647},{"textAlign":49},[648],{"text":649,"type":578},"“Together, these factors are amplifying Europe’s existing structural challenges,” Šefčovič said.",{"type":573,"attrs":651,"content":652},{"textAlign":49},[653],{"text":654,"type":578},"“If we do nothing on the critical minerals front, we will find ourselves in a similar dependency scenario vis a vis single suppliers to the one we have inherited on fossil fuels. ",{"type":629,"attrs":656,"content":657},{"level":631,"textAlign":49},[658],{"text":659,"type":578},"Europe fights back ",{"type":573,"attrs":661,"content":662},{"textAlign":49},[663],{"text":664,"type":578},"Šefčovič remarks come just over a week after the European Commission laid out plans to bolster the bloc’s battery supply chain and production of critical minerals, in an effort to reduce reliance on China. ",{"type":573,"attrs":666,"content":667},{"textAlign":49},[668,670,675],{"text":669,"type":578},"The plans call for Europe to produce 40% of the clean energy technologies it needs by 2030 and to ",{"text":671,"type":578,"marks":672},"mine 10% of the critical minerals",[673],{"type":588,"attrs":674},{"href":590,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":591},{"text":676,"type":578},". ",{"type":573,"attrs":678,"content":679},{"textAlign":49},[680],{"text":681,"type":578},"Last year, Europe produced 5% of the world’s lithium ion batteries, and this is forecast by Benchmark to increase to 14% by 2030 as capacity in the region accelerates.",{"type":573,"attrs":683,"content":684},{"textAlign":49},[685],{"text":686,"type":578},"But although the region’s battery production is growing, Benchmark forecasts that demand for batteries in Europe will continue to outstrip supply, leading to an ever increasing deficit.",{"type":573,"attrs":688,"content":689},{"textAlign":49},[690],{"type":623,"attrs":691},{"id":49,"alt":625,"src":692,"title":49,"source":49,"copyright":49,"meta_data":693},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/606f9f0a77/bm-europe-supply-demand.jpg",{},{"type":573,"attrs":695,"content":696},{"textAlign":49},[697],{"text":698,"type":578},"Last the total investment in Europe’s battery supply chain surpassed 180 billion euros ($195 billion) in 2022, Šefčovič said. ",{"type":573,"attrs":700,"content":701},{"textAlign":49},[702],{"text":703,"type":578},"“This shines a light on the battery sector as being strategic not only for Europe’s economic resilience, but also for our efforts to achieve climate neutrality by 2050,” he said.","Europe needs to “step up” its game at both EU and national level to remain competitive in the face of high energy prices and the threat from US climate subsidies, Maroš Šefčovič, the Vice President of the European Commission, warned. The region needs to be able to compete on a level playing field and also […]",[706],{"slug":561,"name":562,"content":707},{"job_title":564,"image":708,"bio":567,"linkedin":568},{"filename":566},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"9a854fdc-1e77-40d2-a85f-3cdb93f79888\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[712,715,718],{"slug":713,"name":714},"batteries","Batteries",{"slug":716,"name":717},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":719,"name":720},"geopolitics","Geopolitics","private",{"id":49,"alt":625,"name":625,"focus":625,"title":625,"source":625,"filename":723,"copyright":625,"fieldtype":724,"meta_data":725,"is_external_url":51},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/2887159327/bm-maros-sefcovic-gigafactories-europe-2023.png","asset",{"alt":625,"title":625,"source":625,"copyright":625},"Mar 28, 2023","28th March 2023",[],[],1784633818870]