Lithium News

The modern world runs on lithium-based batteries. Numerous chemistries and novel technologies are being developed to counter the limitations of Li-ion batteries though, including the high cost, raw materials sourcing and overheating. Chicago-based research intelligence firm PreScouter recently released a report detailing 10 new battery technologies poised to disrupt the market over the next decade and usher in the next wave of high-performance batteries. Here’s a high-level look at the report findings, including a review of these battery technologies most valuable to solar-plus-storage.

1. Silicon-based batteries

Li-ion batteries have traditionally used graphite anodes, but researchers and companies are now focusing on silicon anodes. The Si-dominant anodes can bind Li-ion 25-times more than the graphite ions. However, these batteries suffer from low electrical conductivity, a slow-diffusion rate and large volumetric fluctuations during lithiation. These limitations result in Si pulverization and instability of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI).

Two primary strategies have been used to circumvent these challenges: nanotechnology and carbon coating. In the former method, various nano-sized Si anodes are used, which have a high surface area, improved cycle life and rate stability compared to bulk Si anodes. They can also withstand lithiation and delithiation without cracking. Carbon coating uses a combination of nanosized Si with different forms of carbon materials for generation of high-performance Si/C nanocomposite anodes. Recently, doped carbon with heteroatoms as coating agents have attracted a lot of interest. The heteroatom-doped Si-C electrodes bind Li ions more strongly than carbon atoms, leading to an excellent electrochemical performance with stable electrical conductivity.

Si-based batteries have generated a lot of commercial interest due to their potential for low costs and enhanced capabilities for cars and smartphones. The competition is fierce, with many startup companies, including Sila Nanotechnologies, Enovix, Angstron Materials and Enevate, to commercialize Si-dominant Li-Ion batteries.

1. Room-temperature sodium sulfur (RT-NaS) batteries

One of the most promising alternatives to lithium-sulfur batteries are sodium-sulfur batteries, due to similar physical and chemical properties of Na and Li ions. However, a high temperature (>300°C) is needed for battery operation. As a promising alternative, the low-cost RT-NaS battery system has generated extensive research interest for use in large-scale grid applications with enhanced safety. However, due to complex reactions within the battery, the RT-NaS batteries suffer from a lower theoretical capacity.

Various approaches have been used in 2018 to solve the problems of RT-NaS batteries.

• A team of researchers at MIT led by Dr. Sadoway focused on the membrane to solve the problem of the brittle and fragile nature of the beta alumina ceramic electrolyte membrane between the anode and cathode components of the RT-NaS. They demonstrated that a steel mesh coated with a solution of titanium nitride functions as stronger and more flexible material for industrial-scale storage systems. The approach opens up new avenues for battery design, as it can be applied to other molten-electrode battery chemistries as well.A new approach to rechargeable batteries. RT-NaS battery with a metal mesh membrane. MIT
• Researchers at the University of Wollongong, Australia, focused on the electrode design. They built an efficient sulfur cathode with atomic Cobalt anchored in the micropores of hollow carbon nanospheres. The synthesized cathode demonstrated excellent electrochemical performance.

Schematic illustration of the synthesis of the hollow carbon decorated with cobalt nanoparticles. 

• In recent research published in “Nature,” scientists used a multifunctional carbonate electrolyte with high electrochemical performance and increased safety. This approach could be applied to a wide range of Na-based rechargeable battery systems for the advancement of low-cost and high-performance energy storage devices.

Schematic illustration of the electrolytes with conventional 1M NaTFSI in PC electrolyte and (right) 2MNaTFSI in PC:FEC with 10mM InI3 additive electrolyte. 

Though RT-NaS batteries are still in the early phase of development, companies like Ambri, a spin-out company from MIT led by Dr. Sadoway, is working to improve the battery design. The next generation of NaS-based energy storage technologies could soon become a reality with the ongoing research efforts and approaches discussed above.

1. Proton batteries

Many research efforts have been devoted to the generation of high-performance proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. However, the viability of PEM fuel cells has been a challenge due to their high cost, transportation and storage of hydrogen gas.

A team of researchers at RMIT University recently reported the technical feasibility of a proton battery for the first time. It consists of two parts: a carbon electrode to store hydrogen or protons from water and a reversible PEM fuel cell to generate electricity from the hydrogen. The battery design is innovative, as it uses activated carbon for the electrode, which is cheap, abundant and structurally stable for hydrogen storage and a small volume of liquid acid inside the porous material that conducts protons to and from the membrane of the reversible cell. With this battery, a voltage of 1.8 V is achievable.

The novel battery concept as proposed in 2014 by Professor Andrews from RMIT. 

Though a tremendous step for efficient hydrogen-powered energy production, the commercialization of this technology is still a long way off. The team estimates the availability of the battery to be within five to 10 years. ABB Marine and Sintef Ocean are also testing a megawatt-scale propulsion plant to power commercial and passenger ships using hydrogen fuel cells. As these batteries do not require Li-ion at all, aside from using platinum as a catalyst, the remaining materials are inexpensive and abundant and therefore could be a leading contender to the current Li-ion batteries.

1. Graphite dual-ion batteries

Dual-ion batteries (DIBs) that use metals other than lithium have attracted a lot of interest in recent years for large-scale stationary storage of electricity. Research efforts are on to increase the energy density of the DIBs by increasing the ionic content of the electrolyte and the ability of the electrodes to store charge.

• Researchers demonstrated a new Li-free graphite dual-ion battery using a graphite cathode and a potassium anode, known as graphite dual-ion battery (GDIB). The findings were published in “Nature Communications.” The team identified Li-free electrode-electrolyte combinations for DIB to increase the energy density of the cell. They used a concentrated electrolyte solution that demonstrated energy efficiency at par with Li-ion batteries.
• Using aluminum salt electrolytes, a research team has developed graphite-graphite dual-ion batteries(GGDIB) for the first time. The battery is inexpensive, environment-friendly and shows a superior cycle and rate performance for future energy storage applications.
• In another promising approach to DIBs, researchers at the South China University of Technology have reported the development of a Zn/graphite dual-ion battery. Due to the many attractive features of the ionic electrolyte, including suppressing dendrite formation on the Zn surface, low volatility, noninflammability, and high thermal stability, high-performance and safe Zn/graphite-ion batteries for industrial applications could become a reality soon.

1. Aluminum-ion batteries

Abundant, inexpensive, readily available and cheap, aluminum is being investigated as a potential replacement for Li-ion batteries. Swiss researchers from ETH Zurich have come up with two new technologies that are a stepping stone to the commercialization of Al-based batteries.

• The first is a corrosion-resistant coating material, titanium nitride (TiN) ceramic, for use in these batteries. The excellent oxidative stability of TiN-coated materials enabled these batteries to attain a high energy density, high coulombic efficiency, and high cycling ability. Due to the excellent corrosion resistance of TiN current collectors, they could even be used as high-voltage cathode materials in Mg-, Na-, or Li-ion batteries.
• Another promising solution is the use polypyrenes as a high-performance cathode material for Al-ion batteries. These batteries typically use a graphite-based cathode, which gets distorted due to the chloroaluminate anions. Using a custom-made cell, the researchers tested polypyrene and its derivative poly(nitropyrene-co-pyrene) as cathode materials and found that it stores the same amount of energy as a graphite cathode. Moreover, polypyrenes offer numerous other possibilities for developing rechargeable Al-ion batteries, including low cost, high abundance, production scalability, and compositional and structural tunability.

Schematic of the working principle of a rechargeable aluminum battery during charge with a polypyrene cathode and chloroaluminate ionic liquid. Advanced Materials

These research efforts show great promise towards commercializing Al-ion batteries for use as an inexpensive storage solution for the industry.

1. Nickel-zinc batteries

Nickel-zinc batteries are cost effective, safe, nontoxic, environment-friendly batteries that could compete with Li-ion batteries for energy storage. However, the main barrier for commercialization has been their low cycle life.

To address this problem, Chinese researchers from the Dalian University of Technology have developed a breakthrough in-situ cutting technique to improve the performance of Ni-Zn batteries by solving the issue of Zn electrode dissolution and suppressing the formation of dendrites. The team developed a novel graphene-ZnO hybrid electrode with the in-situ cutting technique, which can cut graphene directly into short nanoribbons. The strong interatomic interactions anchor Zn atoms onto graphene surfaces. This approach thoroughly fixes the issues of Zn electrode dissolution, dendrite formation, and performance.

With the ongoing research and approaches taken by companies, these batteries show immense potential for widespread commercial applications of electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage.

1. Potassium-ion batteries

There have been a lot of recent breakthroughs to improve the electrochemical performance of potassium-ion batteries (KIBs). Three worth noting are listed below.

• A team of researchers from various institutions discovered a novel family of honeycomb-layered compounds with a general formula of K₂M₂TeO₆ (where M=Ni, Mg, Co, etc. or a combination of at least two transition metals). These honeycomb structured potassium-based tellurate compounds are suitable for high-voltage cathode materials and are capable of inserting K ions into ionic liquids, making them excellent candidates for the development of high-energy KIBs.
• Similarly, another team at the University of Wollongong developed a high-performance KIB with a composite of few-layered antimony sulfide/carbon sheet (SBS/C) anode.
• Other promising approaches include focusing on the synergistic combination of the electrolyte and the electrode as well as developing suitable anode materials to design a high-performance KIB.

These novel approaches will help circumvent the limitations of the suitable host substrates for intercalating K ions and are a promising step towards attracting industrial investments for commercial applications.

1. Salt-water batteries

Water can conduct ions and be used to form rechargeable batteries. However, the chemical stability of water lasts up to 2.3 V, which is three times less than Li-ion batteries, limiting its use in EVs. These batteries could be suitable for stationary power-storage applications. To achieve the potential, researchers at the Swiss Materials Testing and Research Institute (Empa) used a specific salt called sodium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI), which is very soluble in water. The salt-containing liquid has all the water molecules concentrated around the sodium cations in a hydrate shell, resulting in hardly any unbound water molecules present. This saline solution shows superior electrochemical stability of up to 2.6V, which is twice as high as other aqueous electrolytes. The prototype has shown promising results in the lab and can stand multiple charge-discharge cycles.

Similarly, researchers at Stanford have developed a low-cost, durable salt-water battery for solar- and wind-energy storage. These batteries are easy to develop, as they only need manganese sulfate, water, cheap industrial salt, and electrodes for the catalytic reactions. Moreover, the chemical reaction stores electrons as hydrogen gas for future use, illustrating its suitability for grid-scale applications. The performance of the prototype manganese-hydrogen battery could be scaled up and shows a solid performance of up to 10,000 cycles and an extended life span. The battery is in the process of getting patented by the researchers before commercial applications. It has generated a lot of industrial interest, and companies including Aquion Energy are working to make cheaper batteries for grid-level storage. BlueSky Energy uses Aquion’s salt-water technology for residential solar storage.

Although the current applications of the salt-water batteries are limited, they still offer several advantages, including safety, low cost and nontoxicity, for use in stationary storage systems.

1. Paper-polymer batteries

Paper-based microbial bio-batteries have generated widespread interest, as they are inexpensive, environment-friendly, and self-sustainable. They could have enormous applications in biosensors and future electronic devices. However, the main limitation is the low performance.

Recently, Seokheun Choi and a team of scientists developed a high-performance microbial battery engineered from a biodegradable paper-polymer substrate. The pores of the paper contained freeze-dried electric bacteria capable of exporting electrons as a by-product of respiration. To further improve the electric performance, the team incorporated a biodegradable polymer mixture into the paper. These hybrid paper-polymer microbial fuel cells show an enhanced power-to-cost ratio, with a shelf life of about four weeks without needing any additional conditioning or microorganisms. The technology is under patent application, and the team is seeking industrial investments for commercialization. Further improvements in design optimization could offer more versatility in the use of these batteries for numerous other applications.

Researchers harnessed bacteria to power these paper batteries.

1. Magnesium batteries

Mg-based batteries could compete with Li-ion in theory, due to a higher energy density capacity. However, Mg-based batteries are not rechargeable, as the reversible reaction requires a corrosive electrolyte that creates a barrier for Mg²⁺ ions.

For the first time, scientists at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) presented a prototype of a rechargeable Mg-based battery. They generated an artificial Mg²⁺-conductive interface on the Mg anode surface. The interface protects the surface of the Mg anode while enabling the reversible cycling of an Mg/V2O5 fuel cell in a water-containing, carbonate-based electrolyte. The strategy significantly improves the battery performance of Mg-based batteries.

In another approach, a team of researchers at MIT, Berkeley and Argonne National Laboratory developed a solid-state material that conducts Mg ions faster, especially in the ternary spinel chalcogenide framework. This battery design requires further testing and research to enter the commercialization phase.

Top featured technologies for solar applications

Batteries used for solar applications require several characteristics beyond low cost. Capacity and power ratings for solar batteries will depend on energy and power density characteristics of the batteries. Additionally, metrics like the depth of discharge, overall lifetime, and efficiency of the battery will be crucial in determining which chemistries end up working for which specific niches/applications.

Cost vs Performance vs Storage Capacity.

Though a lot of the batteries featured above are in the early phase of development, they could offer low-cost alternatives to Li-ion batteries for solar applications with a longer lifetime and a wide temperature range. Ni-Zn, Mg, Al-ion, NaS, graphite DIBs, KIB, proton and salt-water batteries could all play an important role. These are recyclable and are the subject of much research investigating how to optimize the chemistries with no undesirable side reactions. As such, they offer great promise for renewable-power storage. For example, BlueSky energy has already started using salt-water batteries for residential solar storage, with prices comparable to Li-ion batteries.

A list of the battery technologies that could be suitable for solar applications.

A quest for a zero-emissions vessel initiated by the owner of a fleet of passenger vessels has resulted in the formation of a company to develop and promote it throughout all inland waterways sectors.

Tomas Escher began looking for a zero emissions solution several years ago for the fleet of passenger and excursion vessels he operates in San Francisco Bay as the Red and White Fleet, a company with roots going back to 1892 (WJ, September 7, 2017).

Among the scientists and researchers Escher contacted in 2014 was Joseph Pratt, a research scientist at Sandia National Laboratories. Pratt was one of two authors, along with Lennie Klebanoff, of a 2016 report on the feasibility of hydrogen fuel-cell technology on marine vessels. The project was dubbed SF-BREEZE, for San Francisco Bay Renewable Energy Electric Vessel with Zero Emissions.

Hybrid Vessel Enhydra Launched

In September 2018, Red and White launched the Enhydra, the first aluminum hulled, lithium-ion battery plug-in hybrid vessel built in the U.S. Designed by Teknicraft Design in Auckland, New Zealand, the 128- by 30-foot aluminum monohull vessel is the largest lithium-ion battery, electric hybrid-powered vessel in North America built under Coast Guard’s Subchapter K certification. It was built by All American Marine Inc., Bellingham, Wash., which used aluminum for the hull instead of the originally planned steel. The vessel carries 600 passengers and has three viewing decks.

It was named to honor the California sea otter, whose Latin name is Enhydra Lutis. Escher said, “The Enhydra is another step in transforming our entire fleet to zero pollutions, for the benefit of future generations anywhere in the world.” The company says its goal is to have a completely zero-emissions fleet by 2025.

The Enhydra had to be hybrid—i.e., supplementing its lithium-ion battery with a diesel generator—because the infrastructure to support a fully-electric vessel is not yet in place in the San Francisco area, said Escher. Red and White partnered with BAE Systems, which supplied its HybriGen propulsion system that includes large lithium-ion battery packs (160 kwh. total), generators, control system, and AC electric traction motors. The system is supplemented by a Cummins Tier 3 diesel engine running on 100 percent biofuel, reducing emissions with a 30-80 percent lower carbon intensity than fossil fuels.

The 80-kwh. lithium-ion battery packs were provided by Corvus Energy, supplied under its Orca Energy line.

Zero-Emissions Company

The quest for a completely zero emissions vessel continued. Pratt left Sandia to cofound, with Escher and Joe Burgard from Red & White, a new company, Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine. Its website says its mission is to “provide zero- emission drive train solutions for vessel repowers and new vessel builds. Our hydrogen fuel cell systems simplify operations and maintenance, while providing all of the value created through the adoption of zero emission technology.”

In 2018, Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine was awarded a $3 million grant by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to build the first pure hydrogen fuel cell vessel in the U.S. Funding for the CARB grant came from California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Water-Go-Round

The new vessel, set to be launched this year, is to be named Water-Go-Round, to illustrate how the hydrogen fuel system works. The Water-Go-Round’s website says, “When launched in mid-2019, the Water-Go-Round will be the first fuel cell vessel in the U.S. and the first commercial fuel cell ferry in the world. The completion of this project represents a global paradigm shift for marine vessel power. … The Water-Go-Round will serve as a demonstration to the commercial, regulatory and global community at large. It will demonstrate that hydrogen fuel cell powertrains are perfectly suited for a broad range of maritime applications while offering a compelling business case for adoption.”

The vessel’s 360 kw. fuel cell combined with 100 kwh. batteries will provide the power needed to achieve speeds of up to 22 knots via two 300 kw. (400 hp.) shaft motors, one in each demi-hull. At 70 feet long, the aluminum-hulled vessel with carry up to 84 passengers.

When the vessel launches it will operate for three months in San Francisco Bay.  Red & White Fleet will operate the multi-purpose vessel for the demonstration and has an option to purchase the ‘Water-Go-Round’ as the first of several vessels with GGZEM integrated powertrains in order to meet its commitment to a zero-emission operation.

During this period, Sandia National Laboratories will independently gather and assess performance data. CARB will use the data to verify the suitability of the technology for marine use.

Towing Applications

Initially, Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine will focus on the passenger vessel segment of the marine industry, along with tugs and towboats, Pratt told The Waterways Journal.

“Passenger vessels and tug/towboats are the two maritime segments that can achieve lower total cost of ownership with today’s technology and pricing projections,” said Pratt. “They are also typically operated on regional or local routes which makes them amenable to easy and cost-effective fueling. For these reasons we are focusing on these two sectors initially.”

But the company doesn’t plan to stop there. “Studies done by Sandia National Laboratories show that hydrogen fuel cells can power vessels from small fishing boats up to the largest containerships,” he said. “Every sector can benefit from characteristics that fuel cells provide compliance with all current and future emission regulations, eligibility for incentive funding, lower operating costs, and potentially higher revenue.”

What about the unique power demands of towing vessels? Unlike passenger vessels, which operate under a limited and stable power range, towing vessels need “surge” power to handle large tows.

Pratt says his company has received interested queries from towing companies.  “River operation has unique characteristics that must be taken into account when designing any powertrain solution, whether diesel, hybrid or fuel cell. But these characteristics affect all technologies similarly; there is nothing about hydrogen fuel cell powertrains that would be considered unique in this respect.”

Whether or not any towing vessel will go to pure hydrogen cell power will ultimately be a business decision. “Electric drivetrains powered by hydrogen fuel cells give new flexibility to consider the entire spectrum of operating conditions and provide the lowest cost, most efficient system,” said Pratt. “Fuel cells can be combined with other power generation sources like batteries or diesel generators, or it may be better to use 100 percent fuel cell power.”

“We work with operators to understand their requirements, and then present different options with capital and operating costs and other pros and cons. Ultimately the operator selects what is best for their business.”

Maybe they’re from decorations or new toys this holiday season. Or maybe they’ve been getting stashed for years in the ubiquitous junk drawer.

Batteries have a way of piling up around the house. Though some can be thrown away, others contain metals that are potentially dangerous to your health and the environment — and need extra care for disposal.

We asked Environmental Program Coordinator Adam Frederick at the Washington County Environmental Center in Woodbury to explain the different types of batteries, how to safely handle them and why some some need to be taken in instead of going out with the trash.

Batteries come in all shapes and sizes — what are the differences and which ones are OK to throw away?

There are two types of batteries: single-use and rechargeable. Eighty percent of all single-use batteries are alkaline, which are safe to place in the trash. Single-use lithium or button batteries contain toxic metals and should not go in the trash. Take them to the Washington County Environmental Center for recycling.

Any battery that is rechargeable should be properly recycled — either at the Environmental Center or a participating retailer.

What’s wrong with throwing away rechargeable batteries?

Rechargeable batteries are categorized by the metal they use; they include nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion or sealed lead acid. All rechargeable batteries contain toxic metals which pose a threat to human health and the environment when batteries are improperly disposed.

Lithium batteries can also cause fires if they are ruptured or damaged. Think laptops, cellphones or those hover boards that were popular a few years ago. If a lithium battery is damaged, the lithium will react with the atmosphere and burn at very high temperatures. If you have a damaged or ruptured rechargeable battery, pack it separately from other waste and bring it to the Environmental Center.

I found a few AAs with white crusty stuff. What is this and is it harmful?

If it’s an alkaline battery, it is most likely potassium carbonate. Potassium carbonate forms when a leaky battery slowly discharges over time. Sometimes a potassium hydroxide leaks out and reacts with the carbon dioxide in the air to make potassium carbonate salt. The white powder is not dangerous but any remaining potassium hydroxide is very basic (high pH) and should not be handled. If it’s an alkaline battery, place it in the trash. If not, bring it to the Environmental Center.

How about car batteries? What’s the safe way to handle and dispose of them?

Car batteries contain lead and sulfuric acid and must be recycled properly. By law, auto battery retailers must take back your old battery free of charge. Car batteries can also be taken to the Environmental Center.

Incidentally, the white stuff on a car battery terminal is lead sulfide and is toxic, so be careful not to get any on yourself when transporting. Place the battery in a cardboard box for transportation.

Please note that I am referring to the battery used to start and run non-hybrid vehicles. Hybrid batteries are a different matter and are most often recycled through your car dealer or mechanic. Hybrid batteries are not accepted at the Environmental Center.

What are some other household items that should be brought to a waste facility instead of going into the trash?

At the Washington County Environmental Center, we accept all household chemicals, including automobile fluids, paints, stains, aerosol cans, pesticides and household cleaners. We also accept household electronics such as TVs, computers and cellphones. Visit www.co.washington.mn.us/envirocenter for a full list of accepted items.

This month, we launched a new organics drop-off program. Residents are now able to drop off food scraps, paper towels and more at the Environmental Center. Known as “organics,” these materials can be recycled into compost, a valuable resource that improves soil and decreases the need for fertilizers. Sign up at www.co.washington.mn.us/organics and pick-up a free starter kit. Starter kits include a two-gallon kitchen pail and 10 compostable bags. Kits are available to Washington County residents only.

When Germany signed a deal last month to help Bolivia exploit its huge lithium reserves, it hailed the venture as a deepening of economic ties with the South American country. But it also gives Germany entry into the new “Great Game”, in which big powers like China are jostling across the globe for access to the prized electric battery metal.

The signing of the deal in Berlin on Dec. 12 capped two years of intense lobbying by Germany as it sought to persuade President Evo Morales’ government that a small German family-run company was a better bet than its Chinese rivals, according to Reuters interviews with German and Bolivian officials.

While the substance of the deal has been reported, how China, Bolivia’s biggest non-institutional lender and close ideological ally, lost out to Germany has not.

China has been quietly cornering the global lithium market, making deals in Asia, Chile, and Argentina as it seeks to lock in access to a strategic resource that could power the next energy revolution.

China has invested $4.2 billion in South America in the past two years, surpassing the value of similar deals by Japanese and South Korean companies in the same period. Chinese entities now control nearly half of global lithium production and 60 percent of electric battery production capacity.

German officials told Reuters they championed the bid by ACI Systems GmbH because they saw an opportunity to lower Germany’s reliance on Asian battery makers and help its carmakers catch up with Chinese and U.S. rivals in the race to make electric cars.

The German push included a series of visits by German government officials who talked up the benefits of picking a German company. Bolivian officials also toured German battery factories, Bolivia’s deputy minister of High Energy Technologies, Luis Alberto Echazu, told Reuters.

German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier wrote a letter to Morales, an environmental champion, emphasizing Germany’s commitment to environment protection.

The lobbying effort was capped by a call last April between Altmaier and Morales, Bolivian, German and ACI officials said, without offering details of what was discussed.

German diplomats in La Paz also stressed high-level German government backing for the project, potential loan guarantees and the tantalizing prospect of supply agreements with German automakers, ACI and Bolivian officials told Reuters.

ACI’s win means Germany now has a foothold in the final frontier of South America’s so-called Lithium Triangle: the Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia, one of the world’s largest untapped deposits. The triangle comprises lithium deposits in an area that includes parts of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.

“This partnership secures lithium supplies for us and breaks the Chinese monopoly,” Wolfgang Tiefensee, economy minister of the German state of Thuringia, an automotive manufacturing hub, told Reuters during a visit to the Bolivian capital La Paz in October.

SOME RISKS

The venture in Bolivia is not without risk for ACI.

While Uyuni boasts at least 21 million tonnes of lithium, Morales has made nationalizing natural resources a key policy plank. Bolivian officials assured ACI that foreign investments in the Uyuni would be guaranteed should anything go awry, CEO Wolfgang Schmutz said in an interview.

In addition, unlike Chile’s sun-drenched Atacama salt flats, snow and rain slow the evaporation process needed to extract lithium from brine in Uyuni, and the landlocked nation will have to use a port in neighboring Chile or Peru to ship the metal out.

ACI, a family-run clean tech and machinery supplier, has no experience producing lithium. The company dismisses concerns from some lithium analysts about its ability to deliver, saying its small size gives it more flexibility to bring partners from different fields into the project.

Schmutz said the company has preliminary lithium supply deals with major German carmakers, but declined to provide details, citing non-disclosure agreements.

None of Germany’s top three carmakers – BMW, VW or Daimler – confirmed any agreement with ACI when contacted by Reuters.

BMW said it was in preliminary talks with ACI but had made no decision. VW said ensuring supplies and stable prices for raw materials was important, but noted lithium production in Bolivia was particularly demanding. Daimler board member Ola Kaellenius said: “If it’s happening, we’re not part of it.”

ACI said the carmakers that it was in talks with would not be able to confirm anything publicly until final deals were made.

THE GREAT GAME – LITHIUM VERSION

The global battle for control of lithium has been likened to the “Great Game,” the term coined to describe the struggle between Russia and Britain for influence and territory in Central Asia in the 19th Century.

The Bolivian project includes plans to build a lithium hydroxide plant and a factory for producing electric car batteries in Bolivia. Once completed, the factory will help to fulfill Morales’ ambition to break with Bolivia’s historic role as a mere exporter of raw materials.

ACI has said it expects the lithium hydroxide plant to have an annual production capacity of 35,000-40,000 tonnes by the end of 2022, similar in output to plants operated by the world’s top lithium producers. Eighty percent of that would be exported to Germany.

ACI’s willingness to build a battery plant in Bolivia, helped to seal the deal, said Echazu, the deputy minister.

The Chinese did not want to build a battery plant in Bolivia because they felt it made no economic sense to ship in materials to make the batteries only to re-import the final product to China, he said.

China’s embassy in La Paz declined to comment on the Uyuni project, but said the potential for future cooperation with Bolivia on lithium was “huge.”

Bolivia’s state-owned lithium producer YLB will own 51 percent of the new joint venture. Control of the project was another key demand of the Bolivians, who have bitter memories of foreign powers meddling in the former Spanish colony to seize its natural resources.

Juan Carlos Montenegro, the head of YLB, said geopolitics was a factor for Bolivia in deciding which companies to work with.

“We don’t want a single country to set the rules, we want balance and other world powers must help create that balance,” he said. “So for Bolivia it’s important to have not just economic partners for markets, but geopolitical strategic partners.”

He stressed, however, that Bolivia had not been predisposed against China in deciding who had made the best offer. “China-Bolivia relations are still good. China is present in every country in the world and impossible to avoid,” he said.

Motiv Power Systems, a provider of all-electric fleet chassis for trucks and buses, has announced a supply agreement with BMW to integrate BMW’s lithium-ion battery packs into its all-electric Epic chassis.

“When Motiv specs a battery for a chassis, we are looking for factors that matter most to our end users. These include initial cost, reliability over time, and end-of-life replacement costs,” said Jim Castelaz, Motiv’s founder and chief executive officer.

“With BMW’s latest version of its lithium-ion packs, commonly found on its all-electric i3 passenger cars, we were able to find a compelling battery solution that checks all those boxes.

BMW’s lithium-ion batteries are well suited for use in commercial fleet vehicle deployments because they represent millions of miles of real-world globally—meaning they have seen every potential road condition that Motiv-powered vehicles are likely to encounter—and have proven to be both dependable and reliable.”

AMS Automotive and Power Sonic expanded its comprehensive powersport battery line-up of Super Sport and Ultra Sport to now include a complete line of Hyper Sport lithium products.

The new Hyper Sport series combines proven lithium technology with active intelligent monitoring, delivering a range of batteries that are four times lighter, four times faster charging and last four times longer than original equipment specifications.

At the heart of every Hyper Sport Lithium battery is an integrated active management system that monitors and reacts to multiple voltage, current and temperature events to maximize performance, battery life and safety.

Market research conducted by Power Sonic indicated that battery compartment fit along with all the other advantages of lithium including ultra-low weight, faster charging and longer life was key to meeting customer expectations. Power Sonic Hyper Sport batteries have been specifically designed to fit application battery compartments.

Hyper Sport utilizes Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) technology, which is the safest type of lithium battery currently available in the powersport industry and a ready to go replacement and upgrade from lead acid, AGM or gel.

AMS Automotive and Power Sonic will offer 15 group sizes in the Hyper Sport series covering more than 95 percent of powersports applications including motorcycle, scooter, ATVs, personal watercraft and UTVs. The Hyper Sport series are backed by a two-year limited warranty and will be available in Q2 of 2019.