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Mercedes-Benz Group AG and the Authorities of Canada have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to discover deeper cooperation throughout all phases of the automotive worth chain—from technical improvement and the extraction of uncooked supplies to manufacturing, service life and recycling.
A key focus will probably be securing sustainable sources of uncooked supplies. Canada, which has plentiful mineral assets and stringent environmental requirements, is courting international automakers which can be eager to localize and clear up their battery provide chains. (The Volkswagen Group additionally just lately signed an identical MoU with the Canadian authorities.)
“Mercedes-Benz is trying to open new methods to responsibly purchase uncooked supplies to quickly scale up electrical car manufacturing,” mentioned Mercedes-Benz Board Member and CTO Markus Schaefer. “Securing direct entry to new main and sustainable sources of uncooked supplies is an important step down this street. With Canada, Mercedes-Benz has a powerful and succesful companion for a brand new period of sustainable transformation within the automotive trade.”
Mercedes-Benz says it is going to go all-electric by the tip of the last decade (topic to the weaselism “wherever market circumstances permit”). Growing manufacturing of EVs will imply elevated demand for sustainably-sourced uncooked supplies similar to cobalt, lithium, nickel, graphite, manganese and copper.
Mercedes is exploring a strategic partnership with Rock Tech Lithium, which is growing a spodumene challenge in Ontario. From 2026 onwards, Rock Tech intends to provide Mercedes and its battery companions with as much as 10,000 tons of lithium hydroxide per yr. The plan is to refine the lithium in a carbon-neutral method in Guben, Germany, the place Rock Tech is presently constructing a lithium hydroxide converter.
“To scale up mass manufacturing of electrical autos we want entry to uncooked supplies,” mentioned Gunnar Guethenke, Mercedes VP for Procurement and Provider High quality. “With the supposed Rock Tech partnership, we’re diversifying the sourcing of our uncooked supplies as a part of a direct sourcing method to safe the lithium provide for Mercedes-Benz battery manufacturing in Europe. As sustainability is a central pillar of our buying technique, we recognize that Rock Tech plans to provide Mercedes-Benz with lithium from mining websites audited to the usual of [the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurances] and processed with renewable power sources.”
“We intend to supply Mercedes-Benz not solely with high-quality lithium hydroxide, but additionally to determine a strategic partnership that’s anticipated to set new requirements in sustainable provide chains,” mentioned Rock Tech CEO Markus Bruegmann. “We’ve got discovered a companion that intends to take essential steps with us in direction of a extra resilient and sustainable lithium provide chain.”
Supply: Mercedes-Benz
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