President Erdogan will preside over launch of Eti Maden pilot lithium production plant on Saturday
The inauguration of Turkey’s first pilot lithium production plant will take place on Saturday, according to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez on Wednesday.
The lithium from the Eti Maden pilot lithium production plant in the country’s northwestern province of Eskisehir will be used in components in Turkey’s first domestically manufactured electric car under the stewardship of Turkey’s Automobile Joint Venture Group (TOGG), Donmez explained via videoconference during the Mining Council Preliminary Workshop in Ankara.
The plant, which President Erdogan will preside over on Saturday via videoconference, will help supply the local market by eventually producing an annual average of 1,000-1,200 tonnes of lithium and compounds, which previously needed to be imported.
Turkey’s initial lithium production from boron sources will start on a small scale of 10 tonnes per year, and this is expected to rise to nearly 600 tonnes in the coming years, according to Donmez.
By 2030, TOGG will produce and own the intellectual and industrial property rights of five different electric vehicle models in Turkey – SUV, b-SUV, sedan, c-hatchback, and b-MPV.
In June 2018, five industrial giants: the Anadolu Group, BMC, Kok Group, Turkcell, and Zorlu Holding as well as an umbrella organization, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, joined forces to form TOGG to produce Turkey’s first domestically manufactured electric vehicle.