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Critical Minerals: will there be enough to meet the 2050 net-zero emissions target?

March 14, 2023 by Lilly Yejin Lee and James Glynn

If the production and processing of critical minerals cannot keep up with the accelerating adoption of batteries, EVs, wind turbines and solar PV technologies, the pace and success of the global energy system transformation will be put at risk. In this explainer, Lilly Yejin Lee and James Glynn at the Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University address the big questions, drawing on the data underlying the IEA’s “The Role of Critical … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Resources Tagged With: australia, batteries, Chile, China, chromium, cobalt, copper, critical, DRC, EVs, graphite, IEA, lithium, manganese, minerals, netzero, nickel, processing, production, REEs, silicon, solar, SouthAfrica, turbines, wind, Zinc

Critical minerals: price spikes are affecting Wind, Solar, Batteries, EVs

June 9, 2022 by Tae-Yoon Kim

A wide range of critical minerals are needed for the energy transition. Tae-Yoon Kim at the IEA summarises the reasons why we should expect this to be a year of price spikes due in the main to the Russia-Ukraine war and post-lockdown supply chain bottlenecks. So severe is the problem that the long record of declining costs in clean energy technologies like solar, wind, batteries and electric vehicles is being reversed. Although these crises will … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Resources Tagged With: aluminium, batteries, China, cobalt, copper, efficiency, EVs, innovation, lithium, minerals, nickel, palladium, prices, Russia, solar, Ukraine, uranium

The metals sector should back global carbon taxes. It’ll be good for business

March 31, 2022 by Sally Innis, Benjamin Cox, John Steen and Nadja Kunz

Most of the metals mining sector has been opposing carbon taxes. This is a foolish mistake that works against their interests, argue Sally Innis, Benjamin Cox, John Steen and Nadja Kunz at the University of British Columbia. The tax on the carbon emissions from mining and producing most metals (with only aluminium and steel being outliers) are small compared to the price of the metal, so a carbon tax will add little to the selling price. But the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Renewables Tagged With: carbontax, copper, emissions, metals, mining, nickel, prices

Using atomic-scale imaging and AI to reduce Battery degradation

March 9, 2022 by Andrew Myers

Finding ways to extend a battery’s life starts with understanding why they degrade. Andrew Myers writing for Stanford University describes research there that is using new methods of high-resolution X-ray, electron and neutron microscopy to allow direct visualisation of battery materials at the nanoscale. Degradation is mostly caused by the expansion and contraction of the materials. The high resolution images are processed using AI to uncover … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Storage Tagged With: AI, batteries, cobalt, degradation, electrodes, EVs, LFP, microscopy, nanoscale, nickel, storage

Critical minerals and materials: supply bottlenecks and risks need international cooperation

February 25, 2022 by Dolf Gielen, Martina Lyons, Francisco Boshell and Peter Chawah

The growth in demand for minerals and materials needed for the energy transition is putting a strain on supply. Mining and processing are the two key bottlenecks. Dolf Gielen, Martina Lyons, Francisco Boshell and Peter Chawah at IRENA summarise the multiple challenges. New capacity is not the only problem: the geographical concentration of where the mining and, in particular, the processing is being done is the primary risk. China’s dominance in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Resources Tagged With: batteries, China, cobalt, critical, demand, EVs, grids, innovation, lithium, magnets, manganese, minerals, mining, nickel, prices, processing, solar, stockpiling, supply, wind

Biden’s major report on critical minerals supply: domestic mining + processing, innovation, EVs, global allies + more

July 2, 2021 by Reed Blakemore

In June, The White House issued its 250-page report on the global critical minerals supply chain, and how the U.S. can ensure continued supply as well as build up its own mining and manufacturing base. It is the fullest picture so far of how the U.S. is evaluating mineral access and supply chain resilience, says Reed Blakemore at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center. Here he reviews the report, in particular the section on energy which … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Storage, Transport and energy Tagged With: australia, batteries, Canada, China, cobalt, EU, Japan, lithium, manufacturing, minerals, mining, nickel, processing, storage, US

For energy security and waste reduction, EV battery manufacture in Europe is on the horizon

March 11, 2021 by Sam Hargreaves

Europe should have sufficient battery manufacture capacity for all its EV needs, explains Sam Hargreaves at T&E. Their report shows that Europe will not only achieve that capacity target this year itself, but has the ability to keep it up as EV sales continue to grow (460 GWh in 2025 and 700 GWh in 2030 of battery production in Europe). The report also stresses the major benefit of reduced waste. If manufacturers hit EU recycling targets, EV … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Transport and energy Tagged With: batteries, cobalt, EnergySecurity, EVs, innovation, lithium, metals, nickel, oil, recycling, storage, transport

Essential energy transition metals: “Eco-friendly” trawling of ocean floor could replace land mining

March 3, 2021 by James Conca

The availability of metals for raw materials has a make-or-break impact on the future of EVs, wind turbines and many other energy sector applications. The world needs 3bn EVs and 10tn kWh/yr more clean energy by 2040 to have any chance of achieving our climate goals. We need so much more that recycling what we already have won’t make a noticeable difference. Mining on land already has very serious negative environmental and social consequences. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations Tagged With: cobalt, copper, EVs, manganese, metals, mining, nickel, recycling, turbines, wind

Create new laws to help bring Battery manufacturing to Europe

November 26, 2020 by Alex Keynes and Cecilia Mattea

Europe should start leading battery manufacturing instead of leaving it to China, argue Alex Keynes and Cecilia Mattea at Transport & Environment. With laws spreading across the continent to make electric vehicles compulsory for new car purchases, this is a growing and strategic market. But a firm grip on battery manufacture emissions, as well as ethical sourcing and recycling, has to be part of the plan. The authors give a template of what … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Storage Tagged With: batteries, China, cobalt, copper, emissions, emobility, EthicalSourcing, EVs, lithium, manufacturing, nickel, recycling, transport

Clean Energy threatened by lockdown of critical minerals supply

May 14, 2020 by Tae-Yoon Kim and Milosz Karpinski

Clean energy technologies depend on the reliable and growing supply of critical minerals and metals, far more so than the old fossil fuel world. An EV uses five times the quantity needed by a conventional car, and an onshore wind plant requires eight times that of a gas-fired plant of the same capacity. Hence, electric transport and grid storage are now the largest consumers of lithium and cobalt. Examples of rising consumption abound for other … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Investment, Renewables Tagged With: batteries, cobalt, copper, EVs, grids, lithium, neodymium, nickel, renewables, solar, wind

Most read this week

  • Critical Minerals: will there be enough to meet the 2050 net-zero emissions target? by Lilly Yejin Lee | posted on March 14, 2023
  • U.S. IRA: what can Europe do to stop its firms relocating to America? by Charles Wessner | posted on March 17, 2023
  • Germany: does the LNG infrastructure build-up deliver energy security or go too far? by Julian Wettengel | posted on March 13, 2023
  • 10 Carbon Capture methods compared: costs, scalability, permanence, cleanness by Ella Adlen | posted on November 11, 2019
  • Blending Hydrogen into the gas network: the challenges of pipeline fractures, faster flow rate + more by NREL | posted on March 10, 2023
  • Fulfilling U.S. wind and solar ambitions will use under 1% of its land (that’s less than the fossil fuel footprint) by Steve Clemmer | posted on March 16, 2023
  • What is the future of Woody Biomass in the EU energy mix? by Simon Göss | posted on March 21, 2023
  • Analysis: U.S. IRA subsidies put two-thirds of Europe’s battery production pipeline at risk by Transport & Environment | posted on March 9, 2023
  • Micro-nuclear reactors: up to 20MW, portable, safer by Christina Nunez | posted on April 22, 2021
  • What’s best for Hydrogen transport: ammonia, liquid hydrogen, LOHC or pipelines? by Herib Blanco | posted on May 5, 2022
  • Buildings “Energy Performance Certificates”: piloting new tools to ramp up renovations by Patricia Contreras Tejada | posted on March 20, 2023
  • EU Energy Outlook to 2060: how will power prices and revenues develop for wind, solar, gas, hydrogen + more by Alex Schmitt | posted on December 6, 2022
  • Understanding the new EU ETS (Part 2): Buildings, Road Transport, Fuels. And how the revenues will be spent by Simon Göss | posted on February 6, 2023
  • “Combustion” can make cathodes for lithium-ion batteries more cheaply, quicker, using less energy by Nancy Stauffer | posted on March 15, 2023
  • Hydrogen’s innovation pipeline: signals strong ahead of World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, May 9-11, 2023 by Ian Shine | posted on March 21, 2023
  • The 10 big problems with simply replacing fossil cars with electric by Schalk Cloete | posted on December 6, 2021
  • Germany is developing a strategy for Carbon Capture and Storage to meet its 2045 net zero target by Simon Göss | posted on February 23, 2023
  • Gravity Batteries: any nation can do it at scale using rocks by Simon Read | posted on July 27, 2022
  • Can Aluminium-air batteries outperform Li-ion for EVs? by Helena Uhde | posted on September 8, 2021
  • Electricity Market Design: how can reforms accelerate the transition and help cut energy prices? by Simon Göss | posted on February 13, 2023

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        Recent Posts

        What is the future of Woody Biomass in the EU energy mix?

        Hydrogen’s innovation pipeline: signals strong ahead of World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, May 9-11, 2023

        Buildings “Energy Performance Certificates”: piloting new tools to ramp up renovations

        U.S. IRA: what can Europe do to stop its firms relocating to America?

        Fulfilling U.S. wind and solar ambitions will use under 1% of its land (that’s less than the fossil fuel footprint)

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