How the Circular Economy Act can provide the tools to help scale Europe’s recycling industry, in order to secure access to critical minerals. Recovering materials from end-of-life products like cars and batteries is a key means to secure much needed critical minerals resiliently and sustainably. However, Europe’s recycling industry is … [continued]
Sarah Inskeep Talks Supply Chains for Energy Technologies—and One NLR Model That Brings Them Together When you plug in your phone or laptop, do you ever think about the wires that carry the electricity to the battery? Okay, now what about the powerlines, transformers, and substations that move the electricity … [continued]
Europe talks the talk on recycling. But can it walk the walk? The upcoming Circular Economy Act must prove we have what it takes. Our valuable battery waste is currently leaving Europe on ships headed halfway across the world. And we’re doing little to stop them. Whilst Europe manages to … [continued]
Chatgpt generated image of Europe navigating between China’s processing choke point and America’s federal volatility toward a more resilient battery minerals future.
The energy transition will not fail because the world runs out of useful minerals. It can be slowed, made more expensive, and made more fragile because the industrial systems that turn minerals into batteries, motors, power electronics, grid equipment, and vehicles are concentrated, politically exposed, and hard to rebuild. That … [continued]
"Mudpots bubble and steam near the Salton Buttes lava domes, a volcanic area at the southeastern end of the Salton Sea, California." Image credit: Deborah Bergfeld, USGS.
Critical minerals, such as copper, cobalt, and silicon, are vital for energy technologies, but most critical minerals markets are less transparent than mature energy markets, such as crude oil or coal. Like other energy markets, many supply-side and demand-side factors influence pricing for these energy-relevant critical minerals, but critical minerals supply chains contain … [continued]
How Europe should finance transition mineral projects effectively and responsibly. As Europe accelerates its efforts to secure the supply of critical raw materials vital for clean energy technologies, including batteries, ensuring diverse supply chains will be key. Several initiatives such as Strategic Partnerships, Clean Trade & Investment Partnerships, Global Gateway … [continued]
The electric vehicle revolution is genuinely in full swing, with almost one out of every 4 new vehicles having a plug in 2024. The core element of that revolution is the batteries, and the essence of those batteries is a handful of metals. So, the most critical conundrum is how … [continued]
The US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program has been stimulating, funding, and supporting early-stage energy technologies and companies for several years now, since it was formed in 2009 under the Obama administration. From cutting-edge batteries to next-gen solar, ARPA-E aims to be ahead of the curve … [continued]
Researchers have developed a new cathode for lithium ion batteries that is a drop-in replacement for cobalt and nickel.
MIT chemists developed a battery cathode based on organic materials, which could reduce the EV industry’s reliance on scarce metals. Many electric vehicles are powered by batteries that contain cobalt — a metal that carries high financial, environmental, and social costs. MIT researchers have now designed a battery material that … [continued]
