Lithium in the Green Energy Transition: The Quest for Both Sustainability and Security

Abstract

Considering the quest to meet both sustainable development and energy security goals, we explore the ramifications of explosive growth in the global demand for lithium to meet the needs for batteries in plug-in electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage. We find that heavy dependence on lithium will create energy security risks because China has a dominant position in the lithium supply chain and both Europe and North America seek to curtail reliance on China throughout their supply chains. We also find that efforts to expand lithium mining have been much less successful in Chile, the United States, and Europe than in Australia. Local communities resist licensing of new lithium mines due to a variety of environmental, social, and economic concerns. There are alternative technologies that may make lithium mining more sustainable such as direct lithium extraction, but the timing of commercialization of this process is uncertain. Progress is also being made in battery recycling and in alternative battery designs that do not use lithium. Such advances are unlikely to attenuate the global rate of growth in lithium demand prior to 2030. We conclude that tradeoffs between sustainability and energy security are real, especially in the next decade.

Influencing factors of green energy transition: The role of economic policy uncertainty, technology innovation, and ecological governance in China

“…Although the technology implementation transforms the old energy system into a more efficient one, on a global scale, the share of green energy in the overall energy mix is still minimal (Sun et al, 2022). Therefore, the green energy transition is at the forefront of the economic discourse due to environmental policy priorities such as carbon neutrality, energy conservation, and energy efficiency (Graham et al, 2021). Green energy resources play a significant role in environmental sustainability (Mohideen et al, 2021).…”

Characterization and Thermal Treatment of the Black Mass from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

“…To add to that, there is another concern regarding the most critical metals and their distribution, as is the case for cobalt (Co). The shift towards reducing Co chemistries for batteries shows the displacement of Co growth by nickel (Ni) growth [2]. These elements can only be recovered after mechanical treatment of the pack cells (such as shredding, grinding, heat treatment, and density separation) to obtain a powdered material called black mass (BM) [3].…”

“…The metals are present as lithium metal oxides (hereafter referred to as LiMeOx), which are the active material in the cathode section, covering an aluminium (Al) foil, and the anode is composed of a copper (Cu) foil coated with graphite. A crucial constituent is an adhesive agent between the Al foil and the active material, which is improved by a polymeric binder, mostly polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) [2]. It is worth mentioning that all these components are under the responsibility of the producer regarding the cost of collecting, treating, and recycling, as described by the regulation set in Europe in the Batteries Directive (2006/66/EG).…”

Ionic Liquids for the Selective Solvent Extraction of Lithium from Aqueous Solutions: A Theoretical Selection Using COSMO-RS

“…Subsequently, magnesium, calcium, and boron are removed in several stages of precipitation using sodium carbonate and lime [6]. In addition to this, large quantities of freshwater have to be injected into the lithium wells to pump off the brines, which causes water pollution, affecting the biodiversity of the environment and human health [7], not to mention the fact that water is extremely scarce in places where lithium is found [8].…”