As the transportation requirements shift towards electric drivetrains globally, the need for batteries powering these EVs is increasing correspondingly. A crucial element used in these batteries is lithium, which, as per new reports, is being deployed at a much faster rate now than ever before.
Adamas Intelligence, a Dutch-Canadian research firm responsible for tracking battery metals says that in February 2019, 76% more lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) was deployed globally as compared to the same month last year. This was done in the form of batteries of new electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid electric passenger vehicles.
The company tracks EV registrations as well as battery chemistries in more than 80 countries. It says that lithium noted the maximum gains amongst all the metals used for EV battery cathodes. The gain is also being accredited to the ongoing transition from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) to nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathodes among the Chinese EV makers.
Another reason for this surge is that the market is rapidly moving towards battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles instead of the conventional hybrid ones. The former ones use Li-ion cells instead of NiMH cells, which contain no lithium. Hence, the overall kWh demand is being met through a rapid deployment of lithium in such batteries.
To put this into perspective, know that the world’s top five battery/cell suppliers were cumulatively responsible for almost 75% of all lithium deployed globally in passenger EVs. These suppliers include Panasonic, LG Chem, CATL, BYD and Samsung SDI.
A LITHIUM STONE. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
Lithium’s mining does cause problems to the nearby regions, contaminating the nearby water bodies and leaving the landscape marred by discarded salt. However, it is not the troublesome component in the modern day batteries as the mineral is found in abundance and in theory, can even be generated from seawater in the near future.
Other minerals like Nickel and Cobalt, which go into the making of lithium-ion batteries have been causing anxiety to experts around the globe, mainly due to their limited availability. With China already way ahead in procuring substantial reserves of cobalt for its EV powered future, there is a reason why Cobalt is being considered the next gold.
Source: indiatimes
