Lithium News

Earthworks for a new lithium hydroxide factory in Western Australia are expected to begin this month after the $1bn project received federal environmental approval.

The plant owned by the world’s largest lithium producer, the US chemical company Albemarle, was approved by the WA government in October and is estimated to create up to 500 jobs in construction, with another 100 to 500 operational jobs once it is operational.

Australia’s trade minister, Simon Birmingham, said the plant would provide a much-needed local jobs boost and supply a growing global demand for lithium, which is used in renewable energy storage.

“This is a welcome investment and vote of confidence in our local lithium industry that will help attract further investment into the future,” Birmingham said.

Albemarle announced on Thursday that earthworks at the site at Kemerton Strategic Industrial Estate, just north of Bunbury, were on track to begin soon.

“Achieving this milestone underscores our commitment and confidence in developing LiOH [lithium hydroxide] operations and in our overall strategy to drive significant shareholder value and meet our customers’ demands,” said Eric Norris, the president of Albemarle’s lithium division.

The plant will process spodumene ore from the Greenbushes lithium mine, about 90km south of the industrial estate, and produce 60,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide annually with capacity to expand to 100,000 tonnes.

It will also produce a byproduct of up to 200,000 tonnes of sodium sulfate, and a million tonnes of tailings per annum.

The company has been ordered to identify a new breeding and foraging habitat for WA’s three threatened black cockatoo species – Carnaby’s cockatoo, Forest red-tailed cockatoo, and Baudin’s black cockatoo – to offset habitat lost by clearing the 89ha plant site, including 54ha of coastal plain vegetation that is home to a number of threatened native orchids.

The director of the Conservation Council of Western Australia, Piers Verstegen, said the environmental impacts of the project were “manageable”.

“We think on the whole it’s a positive development for the south-west and one that could provide an alternative source of employment to the coal-based jobs in Collie,” Verstegen said.

Collie, about 70km east of Bunbury, is home to four of WA’s five coal-fired power stations, fed by two open-cut coalmines.

The Albemarle plan will run on gas, but Verstegen said he hoped the company would look into running it on renewable power.

WA is the world’s largest producer of lithium, and the plant at Kemerton is the second significant lithium hydroxide manufacturing plant approved in the state since 2016.

The state established a task force aimed at promoting the lithium industry last year, and the premier, Mark McGowan, met with the directors of Albemarle on a trip to Washington DC in February.

Aluminum ion batteries are being developed to meet high demand applications, such as electrically-powered vehicles for private, public, and commercial transport (cars, buses, trucks, etc.). These applications require an enormous amount of electricity to be delivered to provide the necessary horsepower to carry their payload.

Applications that place a high demand on a battery results in their rapid, aggressive electrochemical reactions to produce electrons to drive the external circuit (i.e., an electric motor, as well as electronics, air circulation, etc.). These reactions produce significant mechanical and thermal stresses on the battery. The problem is that current battery technologies employ liquids for their electrolyte, the medium that facilitates the transport of ions from one electrode to the other. These electrolytes are made of organic molecules and are extremely flammable and volatile. Consequently, batteries in vehicles have a higher safety risk of explosion, burning out, outgassing, or simply failing, either during operation or in the case of an accident.

A Solid Electrolyte of Aluminum Ions

The Hosein Research Group at Syracuse University has developed a new solid electrolyte that can replace the liquid electrolyte in aluminum ion batteries, making them viable for high-demand applications. The electrolyte is made from a formulation of a very soft polymer that allows aluminum ions to permeate through it, and a very tough epoxy that provides the thermal and mechanical durability. This polymer is transformed into an aluminum ion electrolyte by dissolving aluminum salts (e.g., aluminum nitrate) into the polymer host.

Most people are familiar with salts dissolved in liquids, such as water. Yet, solid materials such as polymers are also able to dissolve salts, as their backbone contains chemical functions that cause the dissociation of the salt into their cation and anion constituents. The polymer backbone can immobilize the anions, and allow the cations, in this case, aluminum ions, to freely move through the material – hence a solid electrolyte. By combining the salt in a polymer, the aluminum ions facilitate charge transport through the battery, and the solid host provides the robustness to ensure the aggressive thermal and mechanical changes during battery operation do not cause the battery to fail. This solid polymer electrolyte was measured to have the same conductivity as a liquid electrolyte, making it a viable replacement, and withstood temperatures up to 150 °C, making it perfectly suited for safe operation in vehicles.

This was the first demonstration a solid electrolyte for aluminum ion batteries, and the Hosein group is now actively pursuing the manufacture of an all solid-state aluminum ion battery, one in which all components, including now the electrolyte, are in the solid phase. This solid battery is a key step towards enabling aluminum ion batteries to be incorporated in high demand applications, such as in vehicles.

Aluminum Ion Batteries as a Replacement for Lithium Ion Batteries?

Aluminum ion batteries are a promising next-generation battery technology to meet future energy delivery demands. They have the same structure as lithium batteries, but with the lithium source replaced with an aluminum one. Aluminum is the 3rd most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and a very low-cost alternative. Its batteries show some of the highest voltages, store the most energy, and provide the highest currents. Its storage capacity is 4 times that of lithium-ion batteries. Aluminum also forms multivalent ions, meaning it can carry more than one charge per atom (3 to be exact), thereby carrying 3 times the charge of a lithium ion.

There have been growing concerns over lithium-ion batteries’ capability to supply the growing energy demand globally. Lithium constitutes only 0.7% of the Earth’s crust and would require a 3rd of that supply to be extracted to supply the world’s future needs. Rising costs and high scarcity are driving the search for and development of more feasible alternatives. While lithium-ion batteries have significantly extended the usage of many of our personal electronic devices (phones, tablets, computers), battery researchers foresee an approaching post-lithium ion era, in which batteries from more earth-abundant sources and with better performance are used and enable their incorporation in a broader range of technologies.

Aluminum ion batteries might just be the next-generation storage technology that ushers in the post-lithium era.

These findings on a solid electrolyte for aluminum batteries are described in the article entitled A solid polymer electrolyte for aluminum ion conduction, recently published in the journal Results in Physics. This work was led by Ian D. Hosein from Syracuse University.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology launched a draft on Wednesday to promote the development of lithium-ion batteries, which industry insiders said is part of the nation’s accelerated effort to boost the new energy sector.

In the draft, the ministry encouraged companies to perfect top-level policy design of lithium-ion battery and to push for the automation of production procedures.

“(The move) aims to help firms in the sector to reduce costs and shorten the production cycle. It also aims to improve energy utilization efficiency,” said the draft.

An industry expert from the China Center for Information Industry Development, who declined to disclose his name, said that the draft mainly aims to promote the transformation and upgrading of the lithium-ion battery sector, which will be a “critical” factor in new energy vehicle development.

“Like other industries, the sector needs to be upgraded to a high-quality and healthier phase to tap into the higher demand from new energy sectors, especially from NEVs,” he said.

The ministry also announced the third batch of companies that meet the national lithium-ion battery standard. Shanghai BYD Co Ltd and Qinhuangdao Xinchi Photoelectricity Technology Co Ltd are among those on the list.

Lithium-ion batteries, with a greater life span and power density, are the most favorable power batteries.

Han Xiaoping, an energy expert and also head of energy information website China5e, noted that solving the problem of lithium-ion batteries marks a big step in popularizing new energy vehicles.

“China has already led the world in the production of lithium-ion batteries. The growth momentum needs to be maintained through more innovative measures and a sound market environment,” said Han.

China manufactured more than 10 billion lithium-ion batteries in 2017, which was a 28 percent increase year-on-year. The figure is expected to reach 12.1 billion in 2018, a ministry report showed.

The capacity of all lithium-ion plants in China is expected to increase to 107.5 GWh totally by 2020, said a report from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a price data collection and assessment company focusing on the lithium-ion battery supply chain.

Han pointed out that recycling electric vehicle batteries will be another important task for the nation’s battery sector.

His words echo the top authorities’ green drive. The ministry last July encouraged automakers to establish recycling service outlets and cooperate with battery producers, used-car dealers and scrap merchants to build regional recycling systems.

Pilbara Minerals has secured $231 million to expand a mine in Western Australia that it says is on track to become one of the world’s major lithium producers.

Perth mining company Pilbara Minerals says it has received $US75 million in funding from two key Chinese customers to help expand its lithium ore project in Western Australia.

The funding will be used to expand its Pilgangoora lithium ore mine 120km from Port Hedland to producing five metric tons per year, from two metric tons, Pilbara said on Thursday.

The expansion, to be completed by March 2020, puts the company “firmly on track to become one of the world’s major global lithium raw material producers,” Pilbara Minerals managing director and CEO Ken Brinsden said.

“The quality of the products we are producing, the sheer scale of the resource and the speed at which production is ramping up means that Pilgangoora is rapidly being recognised as one of the most important new lithium raw materials projects globally.”

Pilbara said it had received funding commitments of $US25 million from Great Wall Motor Company and $US50 million from Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co.

That money, as well as a proposed $US50 million Nordic bond and existing cash, will be used to fund the $A231 million expansion of the Pilgangoora mine, which first began producing spodumene concentrate in October.

Acid is used to extract lithium from the spodumene for use in batteries, ceramics and medicine.

The lithium market is growing about 12 per cent a year, as lithium-ion batteries are used to power personal electronics and electric and hybrid vehicles.

“Our key customers have recently visited site and they clearly like what they have seen,” Brinsden said.

They are interested in expanding the mine further, so it can produce 7.5 metric tons of spodumene per year.

The mine also produces tantalum, a metal element that is used in capacitors for consumer electronics.

With production at Pilgangoora ramping up, Pilbara also said on Thursday it was evaluating expanding its planned spodumene processing plant in South Korea, which is jointly owned with South Korean steel-making company POSCO.

Pilbara shares were trading 16.8 per cent higher at 1230 AEDT, to 73 cents.

Doug Campbell wants to do a solid for the auto industry — a solid-state battery, that is. The gizmo could make electric vehicles less expensive and go farther on a single charge.

Campbell’s company, Solid Power, is building in Louisville the largest solid-state battery factory in the U.S. after raising $20 million in September in its first round of venture-capital financing.

Though the nation’s biggest solid-state production facility, its 12-megawatt-hour capacity is relatively small. Elon Musk’s Tesla battery factory in Sparks, Nevada, has a 1,000-MWh capacity, making it a so-called gigafactory.

“Batteries are ripe for hype”

The next better battery has become a holy grail, with many companies having failed in their quest. Axion, Alevo, Valence — all bankrupt, just to name a few.

“Batteries are ripe for hype,” said Campbell, Solid Power’s CEO and a co-founder. “There is huge potential, but batteries are freakin’ hard. It is capital intensive, and it doesn’t happen overnight.”

Still, cracking the code for the next battery could bring big returns. Bloomberg New Energy Finance projects that by 2040, EVs will account for 55 percent of all new-car sales.

“Solid-state batteries are the next frontier in our pursuit of light, fast-charging and, hopefully, cheaper batteries for electric transportation, from next-generation electric vehicles to drones or even electric airplanes,” Ravi Manghani, energy storage director at consultant Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, wrote in an email to The Colorado Sun.

“There will be continued interest in investing in solid-state technologies, either through organic R&D or venture investments,” Manghani wrote. “Now, of course, not all investments are going to bear fruit, but it’s an important area for investment, nonetheless.”

More than $500 million was invested in solid-state battery ventures in 2018, more than twice as much as all previous years, according to Wood Mackenzie.

What makes solid state different

The most widely used battery is the lithium-ion battery, like the ones produced by Tesla. The performance of these batteries has improved, and the price has dropped 85 percent since 2010 to about $176 per KWh, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Still, future performance gains are projected to slow, and lithium-ion batteries come with drawbacks, especially their tendency to catch fire.

A battery has three key elements: two electrodes — an anode and a cathode — and an electrolyte between them. The electrons pass from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte.

Lithium-ion batteries use a liquid electrolyte, which is efficient in conducting electrons between the electrodes, but it’s flammable. (Think Samsung Galaxy mobile phones catching fire.) The batteries also require additional packaging for safety.

The solid-state battery promises to do away with the fire risk by replacing the liquid lithium electrolyte with a solid one. This would allow for a smaller battery with higher-energy density and a longer lifespan. By some estimates, a solid-state battery could double the range of an EV.

The problem has been that electrons have more trouble passing through a solid electrolyte, making the battery less efficient. This is the challenge that solid-state battery companies are working to overcome.

Major investment from global car companies

Solid Power is getting backing from automakers BMW, Samsung and Hyundai. A rival startup, Ionic Materials, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, has among its backers Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi. In February, it raised $65 million in its third round of financing.

In May, Japanese manufacturers — including Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Panasonic — announced they were forming, with Japanese government financial backing, a consortium to develop a solid-state battery.

Volkswagen in June said it was making a $100 million investment in solid-state battery company QuantumScape, a startup spun out of Stanford University.

“There is definitely a race afoot, but this is not a zero-sum game,” Campbell said. “Regardless of whoever does it first, it doesn’t mean everyone else packs their bags and goes home.”

Still, the pitfalls in the battery game can be treacherous. General Motors pulled a multimillion dollar contract from Envia Systems in 2013 after the fledgling maker of solid-state batteries failed to deliver on performance goals, leaving the company bankrupt.

Dyson Ltd., a manufacturer of vacuum cleaners, is looking to make an EV and acquired Michigan-based solid-state battery company Sakti3 in 2015 for $90 million only to write off the investment in September.

“Dyson got caught up in the hype,” Campbell said. “As for the Envia debacle, GM did not do their due diligence.”

One of Solid Power’s backers is A123 Systems, which went bankrupt in 2012 trying to make an auto battery. It was bought by the Chinese Wanxiang Group and was revived as a maker of stationary storage batteries.

Solid Power playing a low-profile game

To guard against the fickle machinations of the battery market, Campbell said Solid Power has played a low-profile, conservative game.

“We’re a little more pragmatic and of humble nature than our predecessors,” Campbell said. “We don’t make a lot of noise.”

Solid Power started in 2012 with an innovation by University of Colorado mechanical engineering professors Sehee Lee and Conrad Stoldt, who Robinson said have become partners in Solid Power. Their invention was a more efficient cathode.

That cathode has been twinned with solid lithium-sulfur electrolyte material licensed from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. “Our electrolyte has the best blend of performance and manufacturability,” Campbell said.

Solid Power has been building and proving its batteries by hand.

“The next stage is achieving production-scale, high-quality, automated production,” Campbell said. The factory should begin making batteries in early 2019.

The goal in designing the manufacturing process was to keep it as close to existing manufacturing as possible — with no exotic or unique equipment — so that the Solid Power product can be made in any existing battery plant.

The aim is to bring the cost of a battery to less than $100 per KWh, Campbell said.

The company is not planning a gigafactory à la Tesla. “It is unlikely we will be the manufacturer for the transportation market,” Robinson said. Possible scenarios include licensing the technology to an automaker or a partial acquisition.

In its efforts to “de-risk” the development of the battery and the company, Solid Power has “partnered early and often with deep-pocket partners,” Robinson said.

Wood Mackenzie’s Manghani called Solid Power’s approach “the most capital-efficient strategy.”

“Solid Power isn’t the only startup vying for longer-term growth through licensing or partnership arrangement,” Manghani said. “Setting up a mass-scale battery gigafactory is a massive undertaking. Solid Power’s intellectual property is very likely the chemistry itself, whereas the battery bigwigs have, in a lot of ways, already mastered the art of manufacturing at scale. The fastest way to grow and bring its products to the market will be through such arrangements.”