Curbing GHG emissions with a more sustainable battery-value chain
There was a lot of discussion at Benchmark Mineral’s Battery Gigafactories conference in DC on the demand and supply disparity of battery-grade lithium. The current state of the lithium supply chain is unstable, and there are multiple future supply chain issues that will affect EV supplies. In a recent analysis by Benchmark Minerals, it was posited that the lithium industry will need a $42 billion investment to meet the demand for lithium in 2030. At this point, it is very clear that battery-grade lithium availability could be a significant limiting factor in reducing GHG emission levels. However, as the proverb goes, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you always get what you’ve always gotten.” The lithium-ion battery value chain is no different. Innovation and disruption in the lithium space will be crucial if we are to truly attempt mitigating climate change. Mangrove Lithium provides a two-tiered solution with our ground-breaking refining technology that directly takes steps to curb GHG emissions and create a more sustainable battery value chain.
Tier One: Opening bottlenecks in the battery-grade lithium supply chain
Mangrove opens bottlenecks in the lithium supply chain at the refining stage. This in significant because it in turn provides more lithium for battery manufacturing and allows for wider adoption of renewable energy tech, subsequently lowering GHG emission levels. Mangrove achieves this by decentralizing the lithium refining system through co-location, refining from a wide variety of feedstocks, opening up previously unviable feedstocks to produce high purity lithium hydroxide, and by reducing the OPEX/CAPEX needed to produce a battery-grade product. You can read more about how Mangrove can decentralize lithium refining in our previous blog post here. Reducing the GHG footprint on the consumer level has the potential to be the biggest factor in mitigating global climate change. Mangrove has a tenable solution for bringing more renewable energy technology to market by way of opening supply chains, a key component in battery manufacturing.
Tier Two: Reducing environmental impacts of lithium production
Like any production chain, lithium refining contributes to GHG emissions – ironically, something its intended end-use is diametrically trying to reduce. However, Mangrove’s technology actively reduces GHG emission levels in the lithium supply, making the battery value chain a greener system in and of itself. Mangrove uses an electrochemical process that is more energy efficient, creating a smaller carbon footprint than incumbent refining systems. In certain locations, Mangrove’s refining platform can be powered using renewable electric energy sources such as hydroelectric power. Another important feature of Mangrove’s technology is its ability to economically and efficiently co-locate with and refine lithium from battery recyclers. This creates a closed loop system between battery manufacturing and battery recycling, reducing the pressure to extract raw lithium from the earth.
Lithium production and battery manufacturing are essential steps in reducing GHG levels and curbing global climate change. The lithium production system, however, is not without fault. The incumbent system and technologies are inefficient and further contribute to waste and pollution. Furthermore, the incumbent systems do not supply enough lithium to feed the demand for the growing green energy market. If we continue down this road, all efforts to encourage green energy adoption may be all for naught. Mangrove’s technology addresses these issues on a holistic supply chain level as well as on an industrial level. After all, if we do what we have always done, how can we expect better results?
