China: a heat wave raises fears of a shortage of lithium

Female workers in a Foxconn factory (Illustrative image).

©Reuters.

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

A heat wave is currently hitting China and the rivers are particularly dry.

In the south-west of the country, the authorities announced a rationing of electricity.

However, it is a crucial region for the Chinese production of lithium, this essential component for our cars and our smartphones.

As a result, factories and companies must cease their activity.

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China is experiencing a particularly hot summer and the province of Sichuan is no exception to the rule with the mercury regularly exceeding 40 degrees.

To combat the sweltering heat, the province's 84 million people turn on the air conditioning.

The problem is that the production of electricity in the region depends largely on hydraulic dams.

The waterways are dried up.

To save electricity, the factories were therefore ordered to suspend their activity.

A blow for Sichuan, a key region for the manufacture of

, an essential element in the electric batteries present in smartphones or other electric cars.

The first company affected is Foxconn, the main subcontractor of the American giant Apple.

The other consequence is that lithium production should be reduced by at least 1,200 tons.

This makes the price of this alkali metal jump.

To break out of this vicious circle and generate electricity again, China has increased its coal production.

A bad trend for the first polluting country in the world, which is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

►Also read: China invests in African lithium to ensure its production of electric batteries

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