Glencore PLC (LSE:GLEN) has cancelled plans to build an electric vehicle battery recycling plant in Sardinia, Italy, after the consent process stalled.
The mining group had planned to produce lithium and other materials from used car batteries as part of a partnership with Canadian battery recycler Li-Cycle.
The project was delayed by Sardinia's slow environmental impact assessment procedure, according to reports that cited Italy’s labour unions.
The two companies have decided to abandon the project and look for alternative locations, possibly in Germany, Spain, Canada or the United States, Italian trade unions CGIL, CISL and UIL said in a joint statement.
The regional Sardinian government initially rejected a fast-track approval process for Glencore’s pilot project, before calling for further documentation to support its environmental impact assessment.