Visit of the President of the Republic to the Beauvoir site (Allier) dedicated to the EMILI project, a strategic lithium production initiative

This visit is part of a government initiative focused on accelerating strategic industrial projects, highlighted by a decentralized Council of Ministers meeting held in Montluçon.

The President of the Republic was accompanied by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, several members of the Cabinet, the Prefect of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, the Prefect of Allier, as well as parliamentarians, national and local elected officials, and representatives of State and regional services.

This visit illustrates the public authorities' commitment to fostering simplification and reducing implementation timelines for strategic projects, drawing inspiration from the methods deployed during recent major national infrastructure projects. 

“Imerys welcomes the announcements made during this presidential visit, which commit France to a dynamic acceleration of its strategic projects,” stated Alessandro Dazza, CEO of Imerys. “With the Beauvoir lithium deposit, France possesses the most significant resource to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles in a fast, sovereign, and reliable manner, which is still too dependent on hydrocarbons and sensitive to geopolitical instability. EMILI also possesses the training, skills, and talent capable of driving this necessary and urgent transition. Since 2022, Imerys has been uniting the energy, resources, and expertise required to bring this major project to fruition through EMILI.”
 

The EMILI Project

EMILI aims to electrify and decarbonize transportation by utilizing a sovereign resource. Developed by Imerys from the Beauvoir deposit, the project constitutes an integrated lithium value chain for batteries.

The project encompasses an underground mine and its concentration plant at Beauvoir, a rail loading platform in the municipalities of Vicq / Saint-Bonnet-de-Rochefort, as well as a conversion plant in La Loue, near Montluçon. Once operational, the site could produce approximately 34,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium hydroxide, to equip the equivalent of around 700,000 electric vehicles.

Recognized as a Major Project of National Interest and listed among European strategic projects, EMILI benefits from the support of public authorities. In this context, the Banque des Territoires, acting on behalf of the State as the operator for the "critical metals" component of France 2030, has taken a €50 million minority stake in the project. This investment is part of a strategic partnership between Imerys and the State, intended to support the continued development of the project and the completion of the feasibility study, scheduled for early 2027, prior to final investment decisions.

Lithium is an essential raw material for battery production and therefore contributes to European goals for decarbonization and the electrification of road transport, which still accounts for more than a third of greenhouse gas emissions.

The project is expected to secure more than half of the battery-grade lithium needs for the French market, and constitutes a first milestone for a European industry that remains heavily dependent on imports.

Beauvoir, a site with strong industrial heritage 

The Beauvoir site carries the legacy of long-standing mining activity deeply rooted in the region: kaolin has been mined there since the 19th century and has supplied the ceramics and porcelain industries, notably in Limoges, for nearly 170 years.

Today, the deposit involved in the EMILI project is among the most significant in the world, the richest in Europe for lithium-bearing mica and one of the top five largest hard-rock lithium deposits globally.

About Imerys

Imerys is the world’s leading supplier of mineral-based specialty solutions for the industry with €3.4 billion in revenue and 12,300 employees in 40 countries in 2025. The Group offers high value-added and functional solutions to a wide range of industries and fast-growing markets such as solutions for the energy transition and sustainable construction, as well as natural solutions for consumer goods. Imerys draws on its understanding of applications, technological knowledge, and expertise in material science to deliver solutions which contribute essential properties to customers’ products and their performance. As part of its commitment to responsible development, Imerys promotes environmentally friendly products and processes in addition to supporting its customers in their decarbonization efforts.
 

Imerys is listed on Euronext Paris (France) with the ticker symbol NK.PA.

Contacts

Press:

Mathieu Gratiot : + 33 7 87 53 46 60
Isis Baracco: + 33 7 88 12 33 50
Hugues Schmitt (Primatice) : + 33 6 71 99 74 58