In 2026 he has re-emphasized the great battle to control the supply chain of critical minerals. Europe, which for years depended almost exclusively on China for the supply of lithium and other batteries materials, is now counter-attacking laws, investments and pioneers.
EU's largest stake is in Portugal
To the north of the Iberian Peninsula, near the town of Botika in the prefecture of Viana do Kastello, is what is now officially recognized as the largest seeded deposit — the crystalline source of lithium — throughout the European Union. The project is named Barroso Lithium Project and belongs to Savannah Resources, a British-Portuguese company that has been insisting on the same bet for years.
In September 2025, Savannah announced an increase in confirmed stocks by 40%, reaching 39 million tonnes of mineral, with an average of 1,05% lithium oxide. This corresponds to about 1.02 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent. If these are added to the still unused areas of the mine, which remain «open» both in length and depth, potential resources can exceed 100 million tonnes — enough to produce about 47 million batteries electric cars.
On an annual basis and in full operation, the mine will process 1.5 million tons of mineral, supplying the industry with lithium for at least 500,000 to 1,000,000 packages of vehicles batteries annually — with an operating horizon of at least 14 years.
EU officially bet on Barroso
In March 2025, the European Commission included the Barroso Lithium Project in the first list «Strategic Projects» announced under the Critical Raw Materials Act — the legislation aimed at 10% of critical raw materials coming from domestic European production by 2030. It is not a symbolic move: this strategic classification opens access to funding, simplifies licenses and brings investors to the table.
In January 2026, the Portuguese government approved a 110m-euro grant for the project — the largest direct state investment in lithium mining in Europe to date. Of these, 82 million relate to capital start-up costs and 28 million are linked to operational milestones. At the same time, the German Government — via the export credit agency Euler Hermes — has expressed official interest in a loan guarantee up to $ 270 million. Germany, with BMW, Mercedes, the Audi and Volkswagen already in an intensive phase of electrical transition, it has every reason to wish the first word in Portuguese lithium.
The final investment decision is expected within 2026, with commercial production target for 2027.
The other side: water, nature and local reactions
Nothing is completely undeniable in this process. The inhabitants of Botika and the surrounding rural area have expressed consolidated concerns about the impact of mining on underground aquifers and biodiversity. In December 2025, the European Commission reaffirmed its support for the implementation of the «Strategic» the nature of the project after Savannah completed an extensive assessment of water resources, demonstrating that the risks to surface and groundwater «significantly reduced» through technical amendments and monitoring measures. The issue remains open, but legally the company has secured the licenses it needs to proceed.
It is worth noting that Savannah is committed to supplying the entire processing plant exclusively from renewable energy sources — a possible target, given that Portugal is already drawing more than 80% of its electricity from RES.
Global image: deficit in the eyes
The value of Barroso becomes even clearer if you look at the big picture. According to the International Energy Agency, demand for lithium increased by nearly 30% only in 2024, with the energy transition representing 85% of the total demand for battery metals. The 2040 forecast speaks of five times as much demand as today. — and despite the fact that markets seem sufficiently stocked in the short term, analysts estimate that demand will exceed supply from the late 2030s.
At the same time, China still controls over 60% of global lithium processing — percentage expected to be maintained by 2035 despite diversification efforts. This concentration of power in a single country is what makes Barroso so valuable to Brussels.
What about Greece? Her role in the map of critical minerals
In this context, Greece is not a mere observer. It is 85% of the total production of bauxite in the EU, it holds the first place in Europe in the production of perlite and bendonite, and now produces French — critical element for semiconductors and solar panels. In public mining parts of the country Cobalt, magnesium, graphite, platinum, tungsten and rare earths have already been identified — precisely the materials the EU currently imports by 97-100% from China, Congo and Turkey.
The interest of global investors in the Greek subsoil is increasing, as the country has entered the «radar» the European Commission for critical raw materials together with Sweden, Finland, Norway and Greenland. As opposed to «fake» Lithium deposits that have been released pastly on the Greek internet as an anecdotal rumours, the official image of Greek mineral wealth is clearer: not a significant lithium deposit has been confirmed, but the rarest — and equally valuable — It is the presence of rare earths that places Greece on the emerging map of European independence in raw materials.
In the world where electrification is no longer tomorrow but today, the question is not whether there is demand for these materials. It's who will have control of their offer.
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