With Europe’s richest deposits of lithium and cobalt, “Ukraine can become the world’s center for the production of batteries and electric cars,”

With Europe’s richest deposits of lithium and cobalt, “Ukraine can become the world’s center for the production of batteries and electric cars,” Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan writes on Facebook. Omelyan is pushing the Rada to approve a bill allowing for a 15-year program to develop production in Ukraine of electric cars, buses, parts and batteries. With the EU moving toward electric vehicles, Omelyan foresees Ukraine “creating a new high-tech industry and tens of thousands of new high-paying jobs.” Ukraine has issued mining permits for two lithium fields — Shevchenkivskiy in Donetsk, and Polokhivskiy in Kirovograd. No work has started as miners await approval of the new bill.