The Czech Republic has a New Raw Material Treasure

Abstract

The most promising type of lithium-ion battery for use in electric vehicles and for storing electrical energy is the cell with a nickel-cobalt-manganese cathode (NMC). For its production, high-purity manganese is required, which is currently produced mainly by China. The need for NMC cathode cells to ensure electromobility will grow sharply, which is why the European automotive industry is very interested in introducing electrolytic manganese production in Europe. From this point of view, the Czech source of manganese, which originated near the town Chvaletice (east Bohemia) as waste after the former pyrite mining, became interesting. This deposit is going to be exploit by the Czech company Mangan Chvaletice now involved in the European Manganese Incorporation. The production of high-purity manganese in a volume of 50 thousand tons per year is to begin in 2025. It is interesting to compare this project with the expected exploitation of the Czech lithium treasure in northwest Bohemia.