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The Environmental Impact of Recycling Portable Lithium-Ion Batteries
According to the US Geological Survey, the world’s most lithium-rich countries are Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Australia and China. The energy required to transport the material internationally results in the generation of a considerable amount of carbon dioxide throughout the entire process.
Moreover, it takes around 500,000 gallons of water to extract one metric ton of lithium using traditional methods. The water is used to create a mineral-rich mixture or brine required to obtain lithium from salt flats. This mixture is then left to evaporate, and after sufficient filtration, lithium carbonate can be extracted. However, the process itself harms the soil — since toxic chemicals can leak from the evaporation pools — and it causes considerable air contamination.
Moreover, it takes around 500,000 gallons of water to extract one metric ton of lithium using traditional methods. The water is used to create a mineral-rich mixture or brine required to obtain lithium from salt flats. This mixture is then left to evaporate, and after sufficient filtration, lithium carbonate can be extracted. However, the process itself harms the soil — since toxic chemicals can leak from the evaporation pools — and it causes considerable air contamination.
The cost to produce electric vehicles is primed to surge over the next four years, according to a new report, the result of scarcity in key raw materials needed to make EV battery cells. “The tsunami of demand is coming,” said Sam Jaffe, vice president of battery solutions at E Source, a research firm in Boulder, Colorado. “I don’t think the battery industry is ready for it.”
The price of EV battery cells has declined in recent years as production rose around the world. Battery cells currently cost $128 per kilowatt-hour on average, and by next year could cost around $110 per kilowatt-hour, E Source estimates. But the declines won’t last much beyond that: E Source estimates battery cell prices will surge 22% from 2023 through 2026, peaking at $138 per kilowatt-hour, before they resume a steady decline through 2031— possibly to as low as $90 per kilowatt-hour.
The projected spike is the result of growing demand for key raw materials, like lithium, needed to make tens of millions of battery cells, Jaffe said. “There is a literal shortage of lithium, and there’s going to be an even sharper shortage of lithium. You cannot make the batteries if you don’t mine the lithium,” he said.
Brine pools at the Albemarle Corp. Lithium mine in Calama, Antofagasta region, Chile, on Tuesday, July 20, 2021.Brine pools at the Albemarle Corp. Lithium mine in Calama, Antofagasta region, Chile, on Tuesday, July 20, 2021.Cristobal Olivares | Bloomberg | Getty Images The expected surge in battery costs could drive the price of EVs sold in 2026 up anywhere between $1,500 and $3,000 per vehicle, E Source predicts. The firm has also reduced its EV sales projections for 2026 by 5% to 10%.
By then, EV sales are projected to top 2 million annually in the U.S., according to the latest forecast from consulting firm LMC Automotive. Automakers are expected to introduce dozens of electric models as more Americans embrace the idea of going electric. Auto executives have increasingly warned about the need to produce more of the materials that are essential for EVs. Ford CEO Jim Farley called for more mining last month around the company’s launch of its all electric F-150 Lightning. “We need mining permitting. We need processing precursor and refinement permitting in the U.S., and we need the government and private sector to work together and bring it here,” Farley told CNBC.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, as early as 2020, urged the mining industry to increase its extraction of nickel. “Tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way,” Musk said during a July 2020 conference call. Though industry executives and government leaders agree more needs to be done to source raw materials, E source says there’s still a surprisingly low number of mining projects.
“With the price of lithium having risen nearly 900% in the last eighteen months, we had assumed the capital markets would unleash the floodgates to establish dozens of new lithium mining projects. Instead, the investments have come in dribs and drabs, most of it originating from China for the Chinese supply chain,” the firm said in its report.
The price of EV battery cells has declined in recent years as production rose around the world. Battery cells currently cost $128 per kilowatt-hour on average, and by next year could cost around $110 per kilowatt-hour, E Source estimates. But the declines won’t last much beyond that: E Source estimates battery cell prices will surge 22% from 2023 through 2026, peaking at $138 per kilowatt-hour, before they resume a steady decline through 2031— possibly to as low as $90 per kilowatt-hour.
The projected spike is the result of growing demand for key raw materials, like lithium, needed to make tens of millions of battery cells, Jaffe said. “There is a literal shortage of lithium, and there’s going to be an even sharper shortage of lithium. You cannot make the batteries if you don’t mine the lithium,” he said.
Brine pools at the Albemarle Corp. Lithium mine in Calama, Antofagasta region, Chile, on Tuesday, July 20, 2021.Brine pools at the Albemarle Corp. Lithium mine in Calama, Antofagasta region, Chile, on Tuesday, July 20, 2021.Cristobal Olivares | Bloomberg | Getty Images The expected surge in battery costs could drive the price of EVs sold in 2026 up anywhere between $1,500 and $3,000 per vehicle, E Source predicts. The firm has also reduced its EV sales projections for 2026 by 5% to 10%.
By then, EV sales are projected to top 2 million annually in the U.S., according to the latest forecast from consulting firm LMC Automotive. Automakers are expected to introduce dozens of electric models as more Americans embrace the idea of going electric. Auto executives have increasingly warned about the need to produce more of the materials that are essential for EVs. Ford CEO Jim Farley called for more mining last month around the company’s launch of its all electric F-150 Lightning. “We need mining permitting. We need processing precursor and refinement permitting in the U.S., and we need the government and private sector to work together and bring it here,” Farley told CNBC.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, as early as 2020, urged the mining industry to increase its extraction of nickel. “Tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way,” Musk said during a July 2020 conference call. Though industry executives and government leaders agree more needs to be done to source raw materials, E source says there’s still a surprisingly low number of mining projects.
“With the price of lithium having risen nearly 900% in the last eighteen months, we had assumed the capital markets would unleash the floodgates to establish dozens of new lithium mining projects. Instead, the investments have come in dribs and drabs, most of it originating from China for the Chinese supply chain,” the firm said in its report.
Summation of Lithium Battery Recyling
Lithium Batteries-3 year life or less
The life cycle assessment component of the study compared the environmental impacts between a hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical process, based on secondary life cycle inventory data. The results showed that for pyrometallurgical processes, the largest impacts are caused by plastics incineration for global warming potential, and electricity generation for human toxicity potential and terrestrial ecotoxicity potential. For hydrometallurgical processes, the largest impacts are caused by landfill for global warming potential and terrestrial ecotoxicity potential, and electricity generation for human toxicity potential.The hydrometallurgical process showed a greater impact than both pyrometallurgy and landfill within the global warming potential impact category, while landfill showed the greatest impact for toxicity.
Transport of waste batteries for processing was also found to have a significant effect on the overall impact. For example, transporting lithium batteries from Australia to Europe was found to increase the global warming potential by 45% for pyrometallurgical processes, and the human toxicity potential by 550% for hydrometallurgical processes.
NATIONAL IMPORTANCE OF DRILLING
Oil, coal, natural gas, metals, stone and sand are natural resources.
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For more than forty-five years the Clean Air Act has cut pollution as the U.S. economy has grown.Experience with the Clean Air Act since 1970 has shown that protecting public health and building the economy can go hand in hand.Clean Air Act programs have lowered levels of six common pollutants -- particles, ozone, lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide -- as well as numerous toxic pollutants.Between 1970 and 2020, the combined emissions of the six common pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10, SO2, NOx, VOCs, CO and Pb) dropped by 78 percent. This progress occurred while U.S. economic indicators remain strong.
The emissions reductions by the Oil Industry have led to dramatic improvements in the quality of the air that we breathe. Between 1990 and 2020, national concentrations of air pollutants improved 73 percent for carbon monoxide, 86 percent for lead (from 2010), 61 percent for annual nitrogen dioxide, 25 percent for ozone, 26 percent for 24-hour coarse particle concentrations, 41 percent for annual fine particles (from 2000), and 91 percent for sulfur dioxide. (For more trends information, see EPA's Air Trends site.)
These air quality improvements by the Oil Industry have enabled many areas of the country to meet national air quality standards set to protect public health and the environment. For example, all of the 41 areas that had unhealthy levels of carbon monoxide in 1991 now have levels that meet the health-based national air quality standard. A key reason is that the motor vehicle fleet is much cleaner because of Clean Air Act emissions standards for new motor vehicles.Airborne lead pollution, a widespread health concern before EPA phased out lead in motor vehicle gasoline under Clean Air Act authority, now meets national air quality standards in most areas of the country.State emission control measures to implement the Act, as well as EPA's national emissions standards, have contributed to air quality improvements.
Thanks to the Oil Industry, Americans breathe less pollution and face lower risks of premature death and other serious health effects.
The emissions reductions by the Oil Industry have led to dramatic improvements in the quality of the air that we breathe. Between 1990 and 2020, national concentrations of air pollutants improved 73 percent for carbon monoxide, 86 percent for lead (from 2010), 61 percent for annual nitrogen dioxide, 25 percent for ozone, 26 percent for 24-hour coarse particle concentrations, 41 percent for annual fine particles (from 2000), and 91 percent for sulfur dioxide. (For more trends information, see EPA's Air Trends site.)
These air quality improvements by the Oil Industry have enabled many areas of the country to meet national air quality standards set to protect public health and the environment. For example, all of the 41 areas that had unhealthy levels of carbon monoxide in 1991 now have levels that meet the health-based national air quality standard. A key reason is that the motor vehicle fleet is much cleaner because of Clean Air Act emissions standards for new motor vehicles.Airborne lead pollution, a widespread health concern before EPA phased out lead in motor vehicle gasoline under Clean Air Act authority, now meets national air quality standards in most areas of the country.State emission control measures to implement the Act, as well as EPA's national emissions standards, have contributed to air quality improvements.
Thanks to the Oil Industry, Americans breathe less pollution and face lower risks of premature death and other serious health effects.