Our strategic climate change goals, have come to rely on a steady supply of lithium metal for batteries. Researchers from East China Normal University in Shanghai, and Sweden’s Lund University, teamed up to quantify lithium supply and demand. Their findings in Cell Reports Sustainability, that we link to below, predict lithium supply chain shortages developing regionally and globally.
Lithium Metal and EV Supply Chain Bottle Necks
Electric Vehicles (EVs) contribute to seven of the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. China, Europe, and the United States all have ambitious EV programs.
However, as Qifan Xia at China’s Institute for Global Innovation and Development points out, these programs rely on a dependable supply of lithium metal. This raises concerns over lithium supply chain shortages at regional and global level.
What Then Is the Answer to the Lithium Dilemma?
The team comprising scientists from Sweden’s Lund University and East China Normal University in Shanghai, suggest improving resource efficiency alongside maximizing lithium extraction. The report summarizes the current situation as follows and we quote:
- Europe’s supply gap exceeds China and the USA, despite accelerated lithium output.
- China needs to reduce import reliance through advancements in battery technology.
- Developing high-capacity lithium mining projects is critical for the United States.
- Unregulated trade competition risks delaying the global low-carbon transition.
The report closes with this insightful observation. “Governance is urgently needed to prevent competition for scarce resources from hindering low-carbon technology adoption.”
More Information
Who Developed The Lithium-Ion Battery?
China And The Global EV Market Share
Preview Image: Lithium Floats on Paraffin Oil
