US Startup Atana Elements to Explore for Lithium Under VW, BMW Battery Plants
American startup Atana Elements has secured exploration licenses for 1.5 million acres in Germany and Poland, with plans to mine lithium directly beneath battery plants owned by Volkswagen and BMW.
American startup Atana Elements has obtained exploration licenses covering 1.5 million acres in Salzgitter, Germany, and Wroclaw, Poland. The company intends to explore and extract lithium directly beneath existing battery production facilities operated by Volkswagen and BMW.
The project aims to localize lithium supply for European battery manufacturing, reducing reliance on overseas imports. The licenses mark a step toward integrating raw material extraction with downstream production.
Source: MarketTwits