So, what are the rare earth metals that are used in Lithium- Ion batteries and where can they be found.
Lithium is mainly found and extracted from mainly salt flats and underground brine reservoirs. Extracting lithium from salt flats and brine reservoirs is through evaporation and then by using large amounts of precious ground water to process it. These areas where it is being mined are arid regions where water is already rare and in the process of extracting lithium a great deal of this ground water for drinking and farming is lost.
On top of this issue is that the remaining liquid left over from extraction of this metal is highly toxic including radioactive elements, which make these once salt flats a permanent waste area for centuries. The largest producer of Lithium as well as the largest manufacturer of Lithium-Ion batteries is China. The other major producers of lithium are Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.
Cobalt is another major rare earth metal for EV and PV batteries as well as all our favorite electronics like computers and cell phones. Cobalt is extracted as a byproduct of copper and nickel mining but can be mined directly from deposits close to copper and nickel. Cobalt is probably the metal most used in batteries that has the highest environmental and social threat.
These mines produce toxic residues that leach into the ground water making it toxic and having a serious health impact to surrounding communities. Smelting cobalt ore produces caustic fumes of high concentrations of sulfur oxide and other air pollutants.
Besides the environmental impact of mining cobalt, is the human working environment factor. This mining is mostly done in poor communities and little thought is given to safety, or training and equipment to mitigate the conditions that are hazardous for these underpaid miners who often suffer injury or death. The enormous environmental impact from mining and processing this metal, highly effects surrounding communities with health issues that causes the residents to suffer chronic disease and early death
This mining and processing of cobalt is mostly in The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Australia.
Another metal used in Lithium-Ion batteries is Manganese. Manganese is the fifth most abundant metal on earth and often found alongside iron ore. This metal is mostly mined in open pits and use and affect large tracts of land having a large impact on the environment. These pit mines are mainly in dry arid regions and consequently in the process of mining they produce lots of toxic dust that spreads into the local towns nearby. Besides the toxic air pollution, it affects surface and grown water. The biggest producers are: South Africa, Australia, China, India, Ukraine and Brazil.
These metals are mostly mined in impoverished regions with workers who receive low wages and lack the training and safety equipment they need leading to injury and death. The pollutants have a big impact on the villages they live in which results in chronic illnesses and early death.
Besides our growing dependance on foreign sources for these rare earth metals for our EV, and PV batteries and all our other electronic devices we are complicit in social and environmental inequity. The single largest producers of Lithium-Ion batteries is China in which our trade and political relationship is tenuous at best.
Furthermore, the mining and production of these batteries uses an enormous amount of energy that derives from fossil fuels. I ask you is this really the way we want to go toward energy independence, and lowering our environmental impact?
I propose that our research and development and implementation of green, renewable and sustainable energy be the development and production of hydrogen fuel cells. As I have mentioned above this technology is not new and we already lag behind in its production and use to countries like Germany, Japan and China who already have hydrogen systems that supply power to towns and manufacturing facilities and probably in automobiles powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The United States has clearly had 50 years to develop alternative, renewable and sustainable energy systems with an emphasis on clean renewable energy in hydrogen technology and lead the world in green energy production.
Instead, we have been content to rely upon our energy being sourced by fossil fuels and we have lost our opportunity to lead the world in green energy production as well as developing and training workers for new jobs in green energy technology.
I would like to point out some companies I have learned about that are involved in hydrogen fuel cell science and development.
Ballard Power Systems has been working in this technology since 1979 when geophysicist Geoffrey Ballard, Keith Prater and Paul Howard established Ballard Research Inc.
Their first initiative was research and development on high energy lithium batteries. In 1989 they switched over to renewable hydrogen fuel cell energy systems with a focus on providing such knowledge to auto, truck, bus and train manufacturers. The first auto manufacturer to buy this technology is Daimler/Chrysler.
Kohler and Toyota of North America are collaborating in developing hydrogen fuel cells to power large scale electric generators. They are presently working on hydrogen powered generators for Klickitat Valley Hospital in Goldendale, Washington, USA. This project is projected to be complete by the end of 2024.
Caterpillar is working on hydrogen generation using chemical catalysis to produce hydrogen for fuel cells for large scale generators and fuel cells for heavy equipment.
Panasonic, Oska, Japan is also working on large scale generators for commercial and industrial application using hydrogen produced from chemical catalysis reaction.
General Motors Corporation is working on large mobile electric generators fueled by hydrogen fuel cells for commercial application.
I just recently learned of a new start up company whose interest align with my specific interest in designing and building with alternative building materials and construction technics that are genuinely renewable and sustainable and powered by alternative renewable sustainable and clean energy. This company is Blue Water Resolute (BWR) and Oncore Energy.
Their focus in hydrogen fuel technology is in producing hydrogen generators for small scale energy plants for houses and small businesses as well as mobile electric power plants to supply hydrogen powered generators.
Their Microgrid uses a hybrid approach. They use dedicated solar voltaic panels to supply the electricity to their electrolyzers which extracts hydrogen and oxygen from water through electrolysis and this hydrogen is stored in pressurized tanks which powers their internal combustion engines to turn electric generators which are very quiet with zero emissions.
Here is a diagram of their Microgrid:
I had the good pleasure to speak with the company’s president, Jean Vooress recently and she said that these Microgrids for a size to power an individual house is still not practical in costs as yet and their goal is to eliminate the need to store electricity in lithium batteries and instead relying on this storage in hydrogen tanks. This would help reduce the cost.
As supply and demand has reduced the cost of solar voltaic panels for home energy use, so could it reduce the cost of their Microgrids. For this to happen we need to support and promote companies like Oncore Energy. Here is the link to their company: Oncore Energy | Premium hydrogen fuel cell microgrid | Official Site
I personally refuse to specify and use products and techniques in building materials and energy systems for powering the home which though claim to be green, sustainable and renewable. That is why I scrutinize in the light of day products that are not sustainable. I am weary and disgusted with the hype and false promises of companies that promote their products as “green” which really are not.
In my industry in construction LEEDS (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the organization that certifies and promotes building materials and building technics and energy systems as “green”. In my opinion much of what they promote when looked at in the light of day is anything but “green”. This is why I am reluctant to even use the word “green” when I speak of sustainable and renewable materials, construction techniques and energy systems. This is why I refuse to use or promote many of the products endorsed by LEED.
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This is why my company still refers to its planning designs as “alternative” even though our methods and products we promote are rooted in long time science that has proved to be reliable for a long time like Autoclaved Aerated Concrete which has been used now 100 years or the use of solar thermal collectors which have been used in different forms for more than 200 years. I have watched for over 30 years for hydrogen energy to be put in use as a truly renewable, sustainable and clean energy which has been known about for 250 years.
As I have spoken of earlier, I am alarmed that all the auto manufacturers seem to be heading solely towards electric automobiles and why I believe this is not sustainable. They have relied upon internal combustion engines now for over 130 years and have had multiple patents in hydrogen fueled engines for a very long time.
So, I ask you why they have not moved toward converting their gasoline internal combustion engines over to hydrogen which is proven to be totally renewable, sustainable and zero emission engines and frees us up from energy dependency.
I have briefly discussed where we have been and done about renewable, sustainable and clean energy since its mandate and funding for research and development 50 years ago. Over this time, we have learned undoubtably that the use of fossil fuels has led to global warming. Do you suppose we carry on our current path?
And if so, where will we be in the next 50 years? Will the earth still be an inhabitable place for humans, other mammals and all other creatures?
I take seriously my role as a good steward of the earth by being aware of the difference between hype and substance when it comes to designing houses and integrating energy systems for the home. I practice resistance and refusal continuously by not practicing uninformed ignorance.
I encourage you to do the same in the places you live and work. Together we can change the status quo by being informed and taking positive action toward change.