Green can never be truly green when poor people suffer to create it, and only the rich prosper. Take cobalt for example. The mineral has had bad press lately, following reports of repeated misery in Democratic Republic of Congo mines. Now Elon Musk has vowed there will no longer be cobalt in batteries in Tesla electric cars. However walking the walk may be a little harder.
Why Removing Cobalt in Batteries is a Challenge
We are indebted to The Verge for some of the ideas that follow. Tesla has already reduced cobalt by 60% in its nickel, cobalt, and aluminum formula. However Caspar Rawles, analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence thinks ‘engineering problems’ will impede further progress in reducing cobalt in batteries.
“Cobalt is the safe element in the cathode,” he explains. “As you reduce it, you reduce the life cycle of the cell.” The current standard of 80% original capacity for electric car batteries could suffer if we reduce cobalt further. Moreover, Caspar Rawles adds, “As you decrease the amount of cobalt, you increase the amount of nickel. The cells can overheat which can lead to combustion.
Is There a Future for Cobalt Free Batteries?
While the Benchmark Mineral Intelligence analyst thinks overheating is a “relatively low risk”, this is still a threat. Especially in marine vessels far out to sea where fire may be worse than sinking. The demand for lithium batteries is growing. Where do we go from here?
Caspar Rawles believes new Democratic Republic of Congo mines may counter growing cobalt demand through to 2022. Thereafter prices will uptick sharply. While Elon Musk is morally correct by reducing cobalt in batteries, he may be running out of technology time.
However, he has proved remarkably robust in the past. He has to be, with China owning apparently 90% of global cobalt resources, and an appetite from some for a return to trade wars.
Related:
Will Samsung Break the China Cobalt Monopoly
Tesla Cuts Back Significantly on Demand for Cobalt
Preview Image: Tesla Roadster Releasing in 2020 (60mph in 1.9 Seconds)
