Pallinghurst sees the demand for battery raw materials expanding in a manner not dissimilar to the steel raw materials super-cycle of a decade ago – and foresees PGMs following suit through fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and green hydrogen development.
However, batteries are made from unsustainably and unethically sourced metals. A new report, released by the University of Technology in Sydney, estimates that the surge in battery production will increase the demand for metals four times above what is currently available in the earth’s existing mines and reserves.
Unlike raw material extraction and processing, most environmental impacts during the battery manufacturing process are directly linked to energy use (on-site combustion and off-site electricity generation), so this section will focus on energy use as the key driver of impacts.
Metals for batteries 'will run out by 2050' Global reserves of copper, cobalt, manganese and nickel will not be enough to support the like-for-like electrification of transport, and ‘de-growth’ in capacity will be needed to meet zero-carbon commitments, says a new study.
The ever-increasing push towards green and sustainable energy with the need for large-scale grid storage, as well as the burgeoning abundance of electric vehicles and personal electronic devices where miniaturization is key, means that new and improved battery materials are in constant demand.
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