Imerys EMILI Project Wins EUR 116 Million EU Grant

Imerys EMILI Project Secures European Union Innovation Fund Grant

On August 28, Imerys announced that its Imerys EMILI project has been awarded a EUR 116 million grant from the European Union’s Innovation Fund. The project is the company’s lithium initiative in central France, focused on extracting and refining domestic lithium from the Beauvoir deposit. The funding is intended to support construction of the project’s lithium conversion plant in Saint-Victor, France. Once developed, EMILI is designed to provide lithium sufficient to equip 700,000 electric vehicles annually, supporting the expansion of domestic raw material capacity for vehicle electrification.

Funding Supports EMILI Lithium Conversion Plant

The EUR 116 million grant will support construction of the EMILI lithium conversion plant in Saint-Victor, France. The facility forms a central part of the project’s planned process for converting lithium resources from the Beauvoir deposit into material suitable for downstream use. The award was made under the European Union Innovation Fund’s “Clean Tech Manufacturing” call for proposals, providing financial support for industrial projects intended to strengthen clean technology manufacturing capabilities. For Imerys, the grant provides project-level support for advancing its domestic lithium initiative and developing conversion capacity within France.

EMILI Targets Domestic Lithium Supply for Electric Vehicles

The EMILI project is designed around domestic lithium extraction and refining in central France, with the stated objective of supplying enough lithium to equip 700,000 electric vehicles annually. Its development therefore connects the Beauvoir deposit with planned lithium conversion capacity in Saint-Victor, creating an integrated domestic pathway from resource extraction toward refined lithium production. The project’s focus on local resources is also aligned with the broader need to develop regional supply chains for materials used in vehicle electrification. Through EMILI, Imerys is advancing a lithium initiative centered on resources and processing capacity located within France.

Frequently Asked Questions

What grant has the Imerys EMILI project received?
The EMILI project has received a EUR 116 million grant from the European Union’s Innovation Fund to support construction of its lithium conversion plant in Saint-Victor, France. The project is Imerys’ lithium initiative in central France and is designed to extract and refine domestic lithium from the Beauvoir deposit. The planned development aims to provide lithium sufficient to equip 700,000 electric vehicles annually. The grant was awarded under the Innovation Fund’s “Clean Tech Manufacturing” call for proposals, supporting the project’s planned lithium conversion capacity and its role in developing domestic supply for vehicle electrification.