Turkey is taking a historic step to end its dependence on imported lithium, the heart of energy storage technologies. Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Dönmez announced the start of Türkiye's first domestic lithium production with a pilot plant established within Eti Maden.
Lithium, dubbed the "oil of the future" and used in everything from electric vehicles to mobile devices, is now being obtained from domestic resources using methods developed by Turkish engineering. Minister Fatih Dönmez emphasized that the production at the facilities in Kırka, Eskişehir, using a method of recovering lithium from boron waste, represents a turning point for Türkiye's high-technology goals.
Imports are ending, the era of domestic batteries is beginning.
The pilot plant established by Eti Maden marks the first concrete step towards meeting Türkiye's lithium needs. Minister Dönmez announced the nationalization of this strategic raw material, stating, "Lithium, which was previously imported, will now be produced in Türkiye thanks to Eti Maden's pilot plant.".
With the commissioning of the facility:
- External Dependence is Decreasing: This ensures that millions of dollars spent annually on lithium imports remain within the country.
- Waste Management: Liquid waste from boron production is processed and converted into lithium, thus providing an environmentally friendly recycling process.
The power of the domestic automobile comes from domestic lithium.
The most strategic goal of this investment is to provide the raw materials for high-performance batteries that will be used in Türkiye's first domestically produced automobile, as well as in the defense industry and mobility vehicles.
Eti Maden aims to expand the process, which began with a pilot plant, through capacity increases over time, making Türkiye not only an assembler but also a raw material producer in battery technologies. In the advanced stage, it is planned to meet the entire needs of the domestic market and export lithium to regional countries.
