Ann: NCZ GRANTED EXCLUSIVITY FOR POTENTIAL ACQUISITION OF GORO, page-125

Yeah, I see it the same way. There is a reason the French provided the US $200m loan facility to Vale. Goro is of vital importance to the French. geopolitical, strategic, militarily and economic.

That is all in addition to keeping the locals employed and ensuring that the Kanaks fail in their quest for independence. No better way of aiding the Kanaks, is to completely close Goro and eliminate much needed jobs in the South Province. (abandonment)

In addition to Renault, PSA Groupe.. French oil giant Total is also planning to play a major role in the EV cell manufacturing industry. The French are intent on securing a reliable supply chain where they retain a degree of control and are not reliant on the Chinese.

Total and Opel Consider Gigafactory-Sized Battery Plants in France and Germany
JOHN PARNELL JANUARY 30, 2020

French oil giant Total and European automaker Opel will collaborate on EV cell manufacturing as the global race for battery factories heats up.

Total, via its energy storage company Saft, and Opel, part of France's Groupe PSA, will kick off the arrangement with an exploratory research and development pilot plant opening next year. Based on the results achieved by that 200-strong research team, a final investment decision will be made on an 8-gigawatt-hour plant in the north of France.

That facility would be scaled up to 24 gigawatt-hours before being replicated with a sister plant of the same size in Germany by 2030.

The plans will be executed via a new joint venture called Automotive Cell Company. The total investment could exceed €5 billion ($5.5 billion), with €1.3 billion of public funding committed from both the French and German governments and the European Union.

“In 2015, Total set an ambition to become the responsible energy major," said Total CEO Patrick Pouyanné in a statement. "With that in mind, we acquired Saft, a major battery maker, in 2016, primarily to develop energy storage to support the growth of intermittent renewable energies such as solar and wind. The fast-growing development of electric mobility offers Total, via Saft, another opportunity for growth and commitment to a decarbonized economy,”

European battery manufacturing is attracting increasing attention from industry and governments alike. Last month the EU allocated €3.2 billion for battery research and innovation. It said at the time that batteries were of both economic and societal strategic importance for the bloc. As part of the EU’s Green Deal, legislation establishing a “Strategic Action Plan on Batteries” will be presented in October.

A number of Asian manufacturers are planning battery factories in Europe. Amperex Technology is looking to set up shop in Germany in the wake of signing supply deals with BMW and Volkswagen.

LG Chem is building a 65- to 70-gigawatt-hour factory in Poland with help from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, expected to be up and running in 2022. Samsung SDI is planning a €1.2 billion expansion of its existing plant in Hungary. The European Union is currently investigating the legality of state support for that investment.

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/total-and-opel-plan-european-battery-gigafactories