Lithium News

Certain provinces in Argentina, namely Catamarca, Jujuy, and Salta, have decided to play a bigger role in the lithium industry. The three provinces have teamed up in order to establish and regulate the workflow of mining companies in the country under a group aptly called the “lithium board.”

According to Mining.com, the newly established board by these provinces will focus its attention on redefining Argentina’s mining sector by establishing environment-friendly and sustainable practices. This includes toxic waste management, water-quality tests, and other mining remediation techniques that would lessen the projects’ environmental impact. It will also modify the process of how companies will obtain their licenses.

Argentina is one of the top producers of the white mineral, and as such, the country’s mining companies hold their fair share of projects annually. Without any regulation, lithium mining could have an adverse impact on the country, and that is what the lithium board is trying to avoid as it looks to pursue the “lithium dream.”

IPS News reports that Argentina holds 13.8 percent of the global lithium reserves and that it is looking to capitalize on these reserves.  Currently, the country only has two major petroleum mining projects running, but it manages to produce 40,000 tons annually. At any moment, it could turn itself into a major exporter of the material commonly referred to as the white petroleum.

According to a data by the Secretariat of Mines, Argentina has a whopping 873,000 hectares prepared for extraction of lithium. Backing this huge landmass of the mineral are 53 mining projects. By 2022, the lithium mining industry is expected to contribute roughly $7.7 billion in Argentina.

The increased gadgets usage for gaming, surfing the internet, camera, etc. drain out the battery charge swiftly. To combat the unexpected and frequent battery death while travelling or in office, a reliable portable charger is necessary. Portable charging units are commonly called as power banks. Portable charging unit is essentially an external battery in a sealed case. Portable charging units are manufactured in various capacities depending upon the applications of the units.

The capacity of portable charging units refers to the maximum charge the battery can hold inside it. The capacity of portable charging units are measured in terms of milliampere-hour (mAh), the higher mAh indicates higher capacity of the power bank. Generally, lithium ion batteries are utilized in the design of power bank for their compactness, affordability and varied market reach. Further, lithium is a highly reactive element that can handle and store energy more efficiently and recharge cycles properly. The most important part of portable charging units are the PCB board and batteries.

Currently, portable charging unit batteries are categorized as cylindrical battery, square aluminium case and polymer battery. Portable charging units are available with different number of ports in the market such as one port, two port, three port and four port. Currently, two USB port charging unit holds major market share and this trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. Portable charging units are utilized to charge various products, which include laptops, mobile devices, tablets, digital cameras and others.
Enhanced consumer purchasing power, better living standard and quick economic development have impacted the electronics market well. Some devices are available with lower battery capacity and thus the demand for portable charging units have been rising simultaneously with the rise in number of devices. Moreover, spread of smartphone technology promoted the growth of the portable charging units globally. Rising demands for tablets, smartphones, and other digital gadgets have fuelled the expansion of portable charging units market till date. A key trend identified in the global portable charging units market is the introduction of sleek power banks in the market.

Considering regions, Asia Pacific accounts for the major market share followed by other regions. The region accounts for more than 1/3rd share of the global portable charging units market and is expected to maintain the same trend over the forecast period. China is the most prominent regional market and increased demand for the portable charging units has created significant growth opportunities on a global level as well.

The US startup Nikola Motor has announced they plan to refund all prepayments for the pre-orders of their electrified trucks within the next 60 days, without the pre-order applicants losing their place in the production line, that is.

The company made the announcement via Twitter, and has stopped accepting prepayment for the Nikola One and Nikola Two fuel cell trucks. It seems that Nikola is attempting to gain some ground from Tesla with the business change, and is bragging about having pre-orders valued at 8 billion dollars already.

Originally Nikola Motor charged 1,500 dollars for a pre-order, providing a spot on the waiting list, as well as a benefit package with a 72 month leasing contract and unlimited hydrogen fueling in the USA. The money is now being returned, while the offers remain standing.

Recently the startup also announced plans for a 1 billion dollar manufacturing facility for its fuel cell trucks in Buckeye, near Phoenix, AZ. The construction of the new factory will take place next year.

End of January Nikola Motor had already received more than 8,000 pre-orders, according to their statements. By 2021, the startup plans to release their semi trucks Nikola One and Nikola Two onto the market. The new propulsion system for the trucks was developed in cooperation with Bosch. Both electric trucks will be powered with a performance over 735 kW and will use a 320 kWh lithium-ion battery. With a full tank of hydrogen, the vehicles will be able to reach a range between 1,280 km and 1,930 km.

On Sunday, the region’s independent system operator (ISO) forecast that the six-state electric grid would need 13,500 megawatts of power with 17,300 megawatts of energy available. The supply met the need, but that solvency is no sure thing going forward.

Established in 1997 by the multiple energy deregulation acts from 1992 onward, the independent and nonprofit ISO New England is charged with ensuring a reliable, competitively priced flow of wholesale electricity for today and into the future. ISO assists with planning for power generation to meet our power needs, while working to lower power-generating emissions.

The bulk of Maine and New England’s electric generation comes from natural gas, 37 percent. Another third is from nuclear plants, while hydro projects produce 16 percent of our electricity. Renewable sources, such as solar and wind, contribute 14 percent of our overall electric supply. Coal and oil, the two largest producers of our power 25 years ago, have been drastically reduced and are now a combined 3 percent in New England and are generally backup generators when more dispatchable energy is needed — as the region demanded starting on Dec. 25, 2017, and lasting for two weeks. This flip in power generation has resulted in over 50 percent lower power generating emissions plus slightly lower costs.

Back in August 2006, ISO New England saw the largest one-day spike in energy consumption with demand for 28,130 megawatts of electricity — far above the available supply. These power spikes require almost instantaneous supplies of dispatchable power — the sources of electricity that can be dispatched by grid operators as needs demand. Intermittent energy sources, such as wind and solar power, are not dispatchable and cannot be throttled up when demand spikes.

State governments across the ISO footprint are mandating shifts to renewable fuel supplies. ISO is faced with the pending closure of another nuclear plant, Pilgrim Nuclear, one of the region’s largest generators. Pilgrim is closing in 2019. Vermont Yankee closed in 2014. With natural gas line expansions stalled at the border in New York and Massachusetts, despite demand in New England for more American-produced natural gas, the grid is left looking for more reliable, dispatchable electricity.

Enter Central Maine Power and the New England Clean Energy Connect Hydro-Quebec transmission line proposal. To the dismay of those backing wind and solar power projects that may or may not bear fruit in western Maine, Hydro-Quebec is offering 1,200 megawatts of renewable DC electricity via a new transmission line in western Maine to Lewiston, then on to meet Massachusetts’ renewable energy commitments to regulators and the ISO.

A corollary benefit of the Clean Energy project will be the welcome lowering of Maine’s energy rates, while supporting the emissions goals of ISO’s energy strategies. Without the Clean Energy project, ISO New England is faced with returning to coal and oil electricity for dispatchable energy, counter to the emissions and cost gains currently realized. Solar and wind proponents, for whom there still is a place at the table, need to recognize that they simply are unable to meet our sometimes volatile electricity demands.

The Clean Energy project is a conduit to clean, economically sustainable, reliably dispatchable energy so essential for our economy. Opponents might help sharpen the focus of the project, but short of a better idea for replacing the expected losses of thousands of megawatts of needed electricity, the Clean Energy project is an essential component needed for Maine’s, and New England’s, energy future.