Lithium News

Tesla’s reliance on cobalt for its lithium-ion batteries may be coming to an end. The company’s R&D for the Model 3 has lessened dependence on a resource that comes from a country where children work in an industry euphemistically titled “artisanal mining.”

Car and tech companies like Tesla (TSLA) have long used cobalt inside of their lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, but much of the cobalt used in these batteries comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where children work in mines and worker safety abuses are rampant. Tesla is changing the way it manufactures its high-density battery cells, leading the way — again — among tech companies and other battery producers globally.

How are Electric Vehicles Linked to Cobalt and Human Rights Abuses?

More than 1/2 the world’s cobalt found in EV and cell phone batteries comes from the DRC, where around 20% is extracted by hand in what is known as “artisanal mining.” Don’t you love that term? It sounds like mining is done by meticulously trained craftspeople who closely inspect and monitor cobalt for high quality, doesn’t it? It is reminiscent of craft beer makers, niche cheese producers, hand-pressed olive oil farmers, or home bread bakers — those products that are artfully and lovingly made by hand by small producers and often family-run companies.

Except “artisanal mining” is nothing like that.

According to Amnesty International, Congolese cobalt miners in these artisanal mines work in dangerous, narrow, underground tunnels handling hazardous minerals without basic safety or protective equipment. Children as young as 7 work alongside adults for up to 12 hours a day, sorting minerals and carrying heavy loads in exchange for the equivalent of $1.00–2.00. DRC governmental authorities ignore children’s and worker safety in general, and traders and companies that purchase these ores turn a proverbial blind eye to the conditions in which the cobalt has been extracted.

Rising demand has led cobalt prices to quadruple in the past two years, and that helped boost production at these “artisanal mines” in the DRC by 18% in 2017, according to Andries Gerbens at Darton Commodities. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates that the use of cobalt in lithium-ion batteries will triple between now and 2026. “Whilst efforts are being made to reduce cobalt dependency, the order of magnitude of EV growth sales will far outweigh this,” Benchmark confirmed. Cobalt has been trading near decade highs above $90,000 a ton (note: the graph above that ends in 2017 doesn’t even have $90,000/ton on the chart).

Even though international standards are clear about health and safety minimum requirements for cobalt workers, cobalt “artisanal mining” is linked to the worst forms of child labor and other serious human rights abuses. And this tainted cobalt, which has been entering the global supply chains of battery manufacturers, has been linked to some of the world’s largest automotive and electronics brands, including Tesla — until now.

How Tesla is Leading the Way in Reducing Cobalt in Its Batteries

Tesla has long been a proponent of nickel-cobalt-aluminium (NCA) batteries developed by Panasonic in Japan, which goes against the propensity of a nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM)-focused EV industry, but that still meant Tesla’s first Model S consumed on average 11 kg of cobalt per vehicle. Today, using a fixed pack size for a more accurate comparison, Tesla’s Model 3 would consume 4.5 kg per vehicle.

From the Tesla 2018 Q1 newsletter:

Cells used in Model 3 are the highest energy density cells used in any electric vehicle. We have achieved this by significantly reducing cobalt content per battery pack while increasing nickel content and still maintaining superior thermal stability. The cobalt content of our Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum cathode chemistry is already lower than next generation cathodes that will be made other cell producers with a Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt ratio of 8:1:1. As a result, even with its battery, the gross weight of Model 3 is on par with its gasoline-powered counterparts.”

Benchmark forecasts that NCM batteries will make up 70% of the total global lithium-ion battery market by 2026. NCA has been far less widely adopted and the main proponent remains Tesla. CleanTechnica this year wrote a couple of pieces, which included exclusive commentary from industry experts, about the shift to NMC 811 and Tesla’s low-cobalt approach.

Tesla has worked on reducing cobalt usage “for literally several years now, and this has been extremely helpful in the overall cost per kilowatt hour, especially with recent commodity price movements,” JB Straubel, Tesla’s chief technology officer (CTO), said on the call that accompanied the Q1 2018 shareholders’ letter.

Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler said on Wednesday — coinciding with the Tesla analysts’ call —  it had launched a human rights audit system to make sure its cobalt is not from child labor and associated “artisanal mining” in the DRC.

What is Artisanal Mining?

“Artisanal mining” often has the following key features:

• Minimal machinery or technology used;
• Reliance on simple techniques and physical labor;
• Operates without legal mining titles such as a concession, claim, or a valid contract with the title holder;
• Low productivity due to very small or marginal plots;
• Typically limited to surface or alluvial mining;
• Uses inefficient techniques and is improved by repetitive scavenging and reprocessing;
• Lack of safety measures, health care, or environmental protections;
• May be practised seasonally to supplement other transient incomes or temporarily in response to high commodity prices; and,
• Economic insecurity.

The Congolese people who engage in this grueling and hazardous work do so because they have few other options to escape poverty. Cutting out cobalt from the DRC will not happen, as so how much of the world’s cobalt is found there. To do so would also make miners’ lives even more precarious.

What Needs to Be Done to Improve Cobalt Miners’ Work Conditions?

Because the DRC government has made only limited progress in its public commitments to tackle child labor and other abuses, others must advocate to make visible and improve the health and safety conditions of Congolese miners and ensure that international laws about mining are enforced.

Companies can verify supply chain information they receive. When abuses are uncovered, they can take adequate corrective actions to address past harms. Companies must insist on complete and verifiable supply chain information and a system of third-party verification. To date, too few brand-name manufacturers of electric vehicles or consumer electronics have looked closely enough at their suppliers. BMW, Volkswagen, and Daimler have acknowledged how difficult it is to verify the source. If this is the case, then companies can buy directly from miners, cutting out middle contacts.

BMW said it makes “every effort to ensure the highest possible standards in the labor practices of our suppliers” but admitted it could do more. Now it’s considering an option to avoid operations that exploit children. “A further step could be to purchase directly from miners, which is an option we are looking into,” BMW told CNN. Apple (AAPL), which stopped sourcing from artisanal mines last year, may also be in talks to buy cobalt directly from regulated mines in the DRC.

Suppliers, including smelters and refiners, need to disclose a complete picture of which mines, traders, and transport routes are supplying them with cobalt. They should support full disclosure legislation that requires them to do so.

Supporting agencies can advocate for miners to receive a wage commensurate with the rising price of cobalt, which has increased exponentially in the last few years. Because miners lack the leverage to demand better pay and working conditions, supporting agencies can monitor traders and processors to provide checks-and-balances. In this way, low-cost hand-dug cobalt will not be hidden within motivations to quickly boost profit margins. Supporting agencies should also petition the DRC government to take steps to address the economic, educational, psychological, and physical health needs of its children.

All constituents can push for DRC governmental reforms and regulations so that adult miners are paid fairly for their labor, work conditions in artisanal mines are made safer conditions through providing workers with all necessary safety equipment, and workers receive adequate technical support and training.

Alternative Solutions for DRC’s Employment Crisis

If the DRC were to lose a good deal of its cobalt exporting, exit options for artisanal miners must also be sought. Smallholder rural agriculture is often cited as an appropriate exit strategy, but is it actually suitable?

In an area where the impoverished have limited access to land rights, where there is little to no economic foundation for leases, where inadequate security threatens families daily, and where local people have few agricultural skills, it seems as if small farming may not be the best alternative to artisanal mining. Perhaps trade and small businesses that build on present artisanal miners’ skills, knowledge, and social networks within a broader rural development framework make more sense.

Of course, this would require advocacy from constituents toward new socio‐political rural development strategies. In the meantime, we at CleanTechnica ask you to rise up and play an important role by demanding that brands be more accountable and transparent. You can push big brands to produce ethical batteries, where they can prove how human rights have been respected.

Tanzania has revoked a retention license for an undeveloped nickel project jointly owned by Barrick Gold Corp and London-listed miner Glencore Plc as part of enforcement of a new mining regime.

The license for the Kabanga nickel project in northwestern Tanzania was among 11 retention licences canceled by the government under the Mining (Mineral Rights) Regulations of 2018, which were approved in January.

A retention license is granted to holders of a prospecting license after they identify a mineral deposit within the prospecting area which is potentially of commercial significance but cannot be immediately developed due to technical constraints, adverse market conditions or other economic factors.

“The Mining Commission would like to inform all owners of retention licences that the licences have been canceled,” commissions chairman Idris Kikula said in a statement.

Barrick Gold Corp and Glencore Plc which own the 50-50 joint venture project were not immediately available for comment. Their license was due to expire in May 2019.

Other retention licences canceled by the mining commission target other nickel, gold, silver, copper and rare earth exploration companies.

Tanzania, Africa’s fourth-largest gold producer, is seeking a bigger slice of the pie from its vast mineral resources by overhauling the fiscal and regulatory regime of its mining sector.

Retention licences were previously granted for a period not exceeding five years, which was renewable.

Tanzanian President John Magufuli appointed the chairman and commissioners for the country’s new mining commission last month, paving the way for tighter regulation of the mining sector.

Magufuli sent shock-waves through the mining industry with a series of actions since his election in late 2015.

In July last year, he suspended the issuance of all new mining licences until the new mining commission was in place.

The new mining rules state that “all retention licences issued prior to the date of publication of these regulations are hereby canceled and shall cease to have legal effect.”

“Consequent upon cancellation of retention license…rights over all areas which were subject of retention licences are hereby and without further assurance reverted to the government.”

Canada’s Barrick Gold Corp, the world’s biggest gold producer, is also the majority shareholder of London-listed Acacia Mining Plc, which is embroiled in a tax dispute with the Tanzanian government over mineral exports.

Barrick and Glencore have been looking for potential buyers for the Kabanga project since 2015 after lower global nickel prices derailed the project, according to mining sources in Tanzania.

The two miners have held the license for the project since 2009, which is estimated to have inferred resource of 36.3 million tonnes, grading 2.8 percent nickel.

Under legislation passed last July, the mining commission has been given extensive powers to regulate and monitor the mining industry and mining operations in Tanzania.

A delegation led by Minister of Mining and Heavy Industry Sumiyabazar Dolgorsuren got an au fait with the Khuut mine in Matad soum of Dornod aimag, Go Go Mongolia reports.

Last year, Buman-Olz LLC explored 126.1 thousand tons of coal and exported 93.8 thousand tons of coal to the People’s Republic of China and supplied the remaining to the domestic market.

Tsogtjargal Dondovdorj, CEO of Buman-Olz LLC, noted that the company has just discovered rare earth elements including lithium reserve in its mining site and expressed their interest to intensify the exploration. He also said, “We are supporting the initiative of re-planning the Matad Soum, which is 40 kilometers away from our mining site. We will comply with any decision made by the Government”.

Minister of Mining and Heavy Industry Sumiyabazar Dolgorsuren noted that there are ample opportunities to develop Matad as a model soum. According to the 32nd resolution of the Parliament, the state policy on railway transport was approved in 2010. During the trilateral meeting between the Presidents of Mongolia, Russia and China in Uzbekistan in 2016, a program on establishing the economic corridor between the three countries was approved and the parties agreed to study the economic opportunities to implement the Eastern Railway Corridor project included in the appendix of the program.

The authorities of Buman-Olz LLC mentioned that the 234 kilometer and 34 kilometer railway projects connecting Khuut with Bichigt would have a great impact on local development by reducing unemployment and improving creativity of the people in the area. Currently, Buman-Olz LLC employs more than 130 domestic workers. The company has a plan to increase its capacity and explore 7-10 million tons of coal per year.

Since 2009, the company has begun removing soil and coal extraction at the Khuut mine which has 11.1 million tons of coal resources.

In the last decade or so, media reports about lithium battery overheating, explosions and fires became much more frequent, leading to worries about their safety.

As electronic devices increase in portability and lithium-ion batteries increase in number to accommodate these devices, battery manufacturers, standards agencies and consumers must get on the same page to ensure that battery fires and explosions stay at a respectable minimum.

Truths and Myths About Lithium-ion Battery Safety

Starting around 2010, many aircraft manufacturers incorporated lithium-ion batteries for powering in-flight systems. Shortly after the introduction of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a handful of incidents involving battery fires in these aircraft were widely reported. Several dozen reported battery fires — all due to manufacturing defects — in Galaxy Note 7 phones led to Samsung recalling 2.5 million devices in 2016.

Lithium-ion batteries contain a flammable chemical electrolyte. If a battery is stressed beyond its capacity, its electrochemistry can experience thermal runaway and overheat, which may ultimately cause a fire or explosion. What’s more, lithium-ion batteries are often included as a single cell of a multi-cell battery pack, so thermal runaway in one battery can spread to the other cells and worsen the effect. In short, lithium-ion chemistries can be dangerous.

Exploding phones and aircraft fires make great news stories. But in reality, lithium-ion batteries are safe and an extremely effective means for energy storage and incidents are rare.

“In general lithium-ion batteries are quite safe,” said Ken Boyce, director of principal engineers for UL’s Energy and Power Technologies Division, in an interview with Electronics360.

“The overall failure rate is estimated to about 1 in 10 million, which is a pretty small number, and we should feel pretty confident about that. Now, there can be instances where for a certain battery — for example, those that have been involved in some of the very public-facing recalls — the failure rate is much higher because of those manufacturing defects, or other factors that maybe reflect design problems.”

Lithium-ion chemistries are so effective that their use and production is expanding rapidly in almost any application requiring rechargeable batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are now common in portable electronics like smartphones, laptops, handheld game systems and cameras, handheld power tools, electric vehicles and radio-controlled devices like drones. With an uptick in use, it’s natural to expect an increase in accidents.

“There are billions and billions of these lithium-ion batteries now being introduced in electronics, e-mobility devices, electric vehicles and drones every year,” Boyce explained. “All sorts of different applications are now using this lithium-ion technology, so as we see billions and billions of cells introduced, now 1 in 10 million starts to become more relevant in terms of the types of incidents we’ve seen.”

The Importance of Standards…

Battery defects are a leading cause of incidents. Potentially conductive contaminants, which can later lead to thermal runaway conditions, are sometimes introduced during the manufacturing process. Batteries have a separator that controls their electrochemistry by isolating the anode and cathode. Damage to the separator during the manufacturing process provides an easy route for the battery’s electrochemistry to overheat.

Battery standards provide guidance as to the manufacturing process as well as test methods to help ensure safety. General battery standards like UL 1642 and NEMA C18.2M, describe methods for shock, vibration, short circuit, overcharge, over discharge and crush testing, among others.

Lithium-ion batteries are unique in that the way they are used is just as important as their internal integrity. Individual batteries are often incorporated in battery packs with associated electronics, so when discussing safety the integrity of the entire electrical system comes into play. As a result, while cell standards like UL 1642 are important, application-specific standards are equally critical.

For this reason, many standards bodies have introduced application-specific standards that cover safe use and manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. Standards like UL 2271, UL 2580 and SAE J2929 cover battery use in electric vehicles, UL 2272 evaluates the safety of the electrical system and battery and charger system combinations of personal e-mobility devices such as hoverboards, e-skateboards and small e-scooters, and IEEE 1625 and 1725 cover rechargeable batteries for mobile computers and mobile phones, respectively.

Radio-controlled drones are now widely used in commercial applications. The same root causes driving incidents involving drone battery packs inspired the new UL 3030 standard for unmanned aerial vehicles, which includes sections on safe battery use and charging from a systems perspective. UL 3030 addresses electrical system requirements for UAVs operated by trained pilots, covering commercial and tactical applications.

“The exciting part about UL 3030 is that it builds on fundamental research we’ve been doing on battery technology and battery vulnerabilities, especially lithium-ion, and it really looks at the whole system,” Boyce explained. “So it first looks at the individual cell, which is the smallest discrete battery morphology. Those cells are generally packaged into a battery pack that has some electronics, which are important because they keep the batteries in a safe mode — safe charging and discharging. And then we look at how it interfaces with the charger and how it interfaces with the load.”

“So we’re looking at that entire electrical system in which the battery plays such an important role to make sure that we’re really thinking about the safety and all the different modes of operation that the drone may be used in.”

Approaching lithium-ion battery safety by safeguarding and testing the entire system, as many standards bodies have done, is an effective way to minimize accidents and fires. Even a well-built battery can fail if placed in a faulty system or charger.

…and User Behavior, Too

Efforts to design, build and test a system are worthwhile, but are challenged by user behaviors and misuses. As drones become more popular as consumer products, mistakes typical of non-technical users are bound to increase. A quick internet search finds dozens of videos showing drone batteries overheating and exploding while charging or in the air. Many of these accidents are due to boneheaded user decisions, known to the standards world as “unintended uses.” There is a trade-off between pouring resources into managing risk and the ultimate responsibility of the end-user.

“Operators can be a bit more of a challenge, because their behavior patterns cover a wide range,” said Boyce. “And that’s where you get into things like markings and instructions, which are important parts of any safety coordination program. Ultimately, products will be used by a person, and that person has to make good decisions about what they do. Because we want them to be armed with the information to make those good decisions, markings and instructions are always important.”

Over the last decade, standards bodies have expanded their systems-level approach by incorporating aspects of functional safety into their work. The underlying concept of functional safety is designing and testing products with the end use in mind; in other words, treating the function of a component or subsystem as part of the function of the whole system. So while functional safety standards focus on electrical and electronic components from the start, they also consider the non-electrical parts of the system in the long run.

Ken Boyce highlighted this aspect of UL’s recent work on battery safety.

“There’s a lot of reliance on functional safety. That’s been one of the changes we’ve seen as we’ve moved forward over the last 10 years,” he said. “So that’s a good thing if we can build in integrated engineering solutions and technological solutions in advance.”

Standards, testing and certification help to reinforce the safe and sustainable deployment of lithium-ion batteries to meet society’s needs and to mitigate possible unsafe situations. As Boyce notes, both the lithium-ion battery and drone industries continue to expand, making standards related to both increasingly relevant.

“The global lithium-ion battery market was estimated at about $22 billion in 2016, and estimates are it will be about $78 billion by 2025,” he explained. “And the global drone industry is estimated to be about $12 billion by 2021. We’ll probably see some exploration into different [battery] chemistries in different applications, but lithium-ion will be the workhorse technology for the foreseeable future. That’s why this work [around standards] is so important.”

A battery maker in the region has teamed up with an out-of-state solar company to develop a solar-powered refrigerated trailer for the trucking industry.

Holland-based Volta Power Systems and Warwick, Rhode Island-based eNow said last week they have partnered to deliver an electric refrigerated trailer powered by eNow solar panels and Volta lithium-ion battery packs.

The solar electric trailer made its debut at the Advanced Clean Transportation show in Long Beach, California this month.

The 53-foot refrigerated trailer includes three of Volta’s largest modules, which combined deliver over 75 kWh of power, enough energy to run the trailer for a full day of deliveries.

“With over 75 kWh of power available, the trailer can make all of its stops for the day without the noise and emissions of a traditional diesel cooling system,” said Jack Johnson, co-founder, Volta Power Systems. “Our system uses a third of the space and a sixth of the weight compared to traditional battery systems, meaning more space for product and lower fuel consumption.

The lithium-ion system is recharged by eNow‘s 5.4-KW solar panels on top of the trailer and its patented charge controller. The battery bank can also charge on-site, using shore power during loading.

The setup powers the trailer’s cooling system and is designed to reduce emissions, noise and operating expenses.

The trailer power system reduces 98 percent of nitrous-oxide emissions, 86 percent of carbon dioxide and 97 percent of particulate matter, according to eNow’s research.

“Our case studies have shown that solar electric trailers can reduce operation and maintenance expenses by 90 percent,” said Jeff Flath, president and CEO, eNow. “With over 500,000 refrigerated trailers in the U.S. alone, the savings combined with lower emissions can disrupt the refrigerated logistics industry.”

ENow was formed in 2011 to introduce advanced solar power technologies to the transportation industry.

The company designs and sells solar-powered idle-reduction systems for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

Volta Power Systems, founded in 2014, provides lithium-ion energy storage solutions for small and medium businesses, as well as RV, marine and specialty vehicle OEM applications.

New Delhi: Last year in May, Coimbatore-based electric vehicle company Ampere Vehicles shot into limelight when the President of India launched its lead-acid battery charger.

This May, the company has upped its game further. This time the President is rolling out on Friday, Ampere’s Lithium-ion charger priced at Rs 3,000.

In addition, two of its scooters, V48 Lithium costing Rs 38,000 and Reo Lithium priced Rs 46,000, powered by Lithium-ion batteries, will also be launched. Each gain from the government subsidy of Rs 7,500.

E-scooters and Lithium charger will ride on the back of the large market potential that will open up once all the vehicles turn electric by 2030 and the shortage of sufficient charging infrastructure.

Hemalatha Annamalai, founder & CEO of Ampere Vehicles told ETAuto that the earlier lead acid charger was completely indigenised in-house and commercialised on all its vehicles after the launch last year.

“We are selling it to other OEMs, dealers as well as spare parts dealers. We are also in talks with larger OEMs, who are importing it currently,” added Annamalai.

Fortified with the experience of the last charger, Ampere Vehicles has transited to the Lithium-ion charger.

In 2009-10, the company had launched the Lithium foldable cycle. But at that time the market for Lithium-ion products was at a nascent stage and expensive.

Hence, the Lithium charger did not see the light of the day.

But now boosted with the government support coming for EVs for cutting down pollution, especially in the Delhi-NCR, it feels this is the right time to go to the market with its latest product.

“Since 2008, we did not stop its development as we have a dedicated power electronics team in our company, so we acquired advanced technologies from within India. We have a core team of six experienced power electronics designers but the total R&D team consists of 35 members,” elaborated Annamalai.

Citing its advantages, she said that the Lithium-ion battery is lightweight, around 7-8 kg in weight, compared to the lead acid battery that could weigh 35 kg. Hence, it required a lesser charging time of about 3-4 hours for a full charge compared to 8-10 hours for charging a lead-acid battery. Further, in the first 1 hour, it could fire up to 80 per cent of the charge.

Key aspects of the Ampere lithium charger are its auto cut off feature, wherein it automatically switches off after the battery is charged so that any damage is averted. It contains an over temperature protection feature, where it switches off in case of high temperatures, thereby protecting the battery.

The Lithium-ion charger starts sales from mid-May and will be made at the company’s Coimbatore plant that currently has a production capacity of 100,000 units annually. Both lead acid and lithium ion chargers will co-exist here.

Ampere has spent about Rs 7 crore till now on developing various electric vehicle components like chargers, DC-DC converters, motors and the Lithium-ion battery.

It has received technological and monetary support from the Technology Development Board (TDP) that mentors startups and emerging entrepreneurs to develop technology products.

ETAuto spoke to the secretary of TDB, Department of Science and Technology, who said it had given 50 per cent funding assistance to Ampere or Rs 3.5 crore in the form of a soft loan for the development of the 4 components. The loan could be repaid over a 4.5-year period at an interest rate of 5 per cent.

She elaborated that the lithium-ion battery charger contained 80 per cent local parts and could be used to charge vehicles for an 80-100 km range. Next generation of chargers will be required for a 150-200 km drive range.

In addition, Ampere is developing a lithium-ion battery that is almost complete and will see a rollout within 6 months.

Currently, Ampere has sold about 55,000 electric scooters since 2008 but is bullish that with chargers becoming available and being marketed through its 150 dealerships, sales would get a boost.

The company is targeting a product mix of 70 per cent lead-acid chargers and the balance 30 per cent lithium chargers.