The Case for Shorter Battery Provide Chains

China dominates the worldwide lithium-ion battery {industry}.

Based on Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, China accounted for 75.3 % of battery capability in 2020, in comparison with 7.6 % in Europe and 6.7 % in North America. The West is gaining floor nonetheless. By 2030, the identical analysts estimate that China will account for 65.4 % of battery capability, in comparison with 11.9 % in North America and 19 % in Europe.

This trendline is constructive. The West is choosing up the gauntlet and making headway in battery cell manufacturing capability to provide the bourgeoning electrical automobile {industry}. These developments are essential.

Mixed, North America and Europe noticed electrical automobile gross sales attain 2.1 million models in 2021 – by way of September, in comparison with 1.9 million models in China. Merely constructing out cell manufacturing capability, nonetheless, is not enough.

China’s Dominant Place

Think about two rooms separated by a door. One room accommodates minerals extraction whereas the opposite room homes battery cell manufacturing. China has the important thing to that door. Earlier than extracted minerals can be utilized in battery cell manufacturing, they must be refined to battery grade supplies used within the manufacturing of precursor supplies.

China controls greater than 80 % of cathode supplies processing capability for all vital parts, together with cobalt, nickel, and manganese. The scenario is analogous in anodes. For instance, analysts level out that one hundred pc of all pure graphite anode is made in China.

China, in the meantime, solely extracts 23 % of worldwide provide of all battery uncooked supplies, in keeping with Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Whereas Western governments are actively selling electrical automobile gross sales and battery cell manufacturing, with out a proportional funding to increase battery supplies processing capability, the reliance on China is not going to change one bit. This presents geopolitical and strategic dangers that {industry} and authorities should contemplate.

Counting on China is Dangerous

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the potential risks of lengthy provide chains. Essentially the most well-known scarcity ensuing from international sea freight disruptions was microchips, which made it harder and dear to manufacture any product containing an digital system, together with electrical autos.

Whereas not as well-known, battery cell manufacturing has been equally affected by freight disruption. Then there may be the geopolitical angle, greatest exemplified by the continued aggressive dynamics within the uncommon earths {industry}, the place China holds a dominant place and may open and shut the door at will.

Localized, built-in battery provide chains provide quantifiable advantages. Shortened provide chains profit the electrical automobile and battery cell industries in a number of methods.

• Diminished sea freight emissions: If we examine the ‘normal’ cobalt route, from mine within the Democratic Republic of Congo to cell in North America, for instance, a North American major refining and precursor {industry} would cut back sea freight emissions by at the least 50 %. If the identical instance is utilized to Europe, emissions could be reduce by 33 %.
• Decrease processing emissions: Chinese language battery supplies processing capability is principally thermal coal-based. In North America, and Canada specifically, materials processors have entry to an abundance of fresh hydroelectric energy. Because the {industry} is on the cusp of constructing out the North American battery provide chain from scratch, this industry-wide initiative is a superb alternative to make sure that we base it on hydroelectricity and renewables in its entirety, thus creating the world’s lowest carbon battery provide chain.
• Time is cash. Transport uncooked supplies from North America to China, for these to return to North America in purified kind is time consuming and costly. The capital tied up within the present provide chain is higher spent on growing a neighborhood, built-in North American battery {industry}.
• Much less materials high quality deterioration. The basic properties of battery grade sulfates, for instance, don’t change dramatically over time. However bodily properties do change, and materials which is saved over longer intervals danger caking and liquefaction. This makes dealing with extra troublesome. Shorter, native provide chains will be sure that superior high quality materials is delivered all through.
• Elevated transparency. When it comes to materials origin, China isn’t a worldwide chief on the subject of transparency. It’s troublesome to make sure the ESG credentials utilized to the fabric, which is shipped into China,  additionally applies to the fabric which is shipped out of China. ‘Gray’ materials – for instance cobalt mined by youngsters – could also be blended right into a Chinese language processing stream with out purchasers figuring out any higher. In North America, ESG regulation negates the potential of coping with ‘tainted’ supplies.
• Decrease geopolitical and commerce danger: By integrating battery provide chains inside NAFTA or the EU, geopolitical and tariff dangers are decreased. When counting on China, the West dangers a altering geopolitical local weather and unsure import and export tariffs.

China is at the least decade forward of the remainder of the world when it involves lithium-ion battery provide. OEMs are at the moment establishing their provide chains and look to China because the ‘least expensive’ various, however have they quantified the worth of those different advantages?

Most could also be chasing short-term options, kicking the can down the street, on the battery provide chain. By spending more cash on growing an built-in provide chain within the West, we’ll reap the long-term rewards of an environmentally pleasant, safe, native battery provide chain which is able to deliver employment, know-how and financial advantages.

If we don’t, the longer term belongs to China.

Trent Mell is the CEO of Electra Battery Supplies Company.