Batteries are heroes in the struggle against climate change at first glance. That’s because they empower renewable energy to compete against fossil, and start winning the energy war. However, Monash University in Australia rang a few alarm bells when it said we still need to strike a balance between batteries and climate.
Are Batteries ‘Out of Balance’ with Climate?
Monash University seems to think they could be better soulmates, according to their contributor Mahdokht Shaibani, a research fellow, mechanical and airspace engineering. That’s because there are rising concerns about the battery supply chain. These issues need to be urgently addressed, or else the climate positives won’t be as great, she warns.
The challenge lies with the mineral-intensive nature of lithium-ion batteries we rely on for energy storage. Because they don’t only contain lithium, they also comprise nickel, cobalt and graphite minerals too. And these take a huge amount of energy to wrest from the earth, so there is a carbon price attached.
A lithium-ion battery may only comprise 2% to 3% lithium. However, lithium mining harms the air, the land, and the water according to Mahdokht Shaibani. One ton of lithium alone takes almost 5 million gallons of water to produce, and releases 15 tons of carbon dioxide.
More Environmental Costs of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Those same batteries also use nickel as main ingredient for their positive electrodes. Mining nickel is also “extremely energy and water-intensive” Mahdokht Shaibani continues. Moreover, mining a ton comes at a cost of between 8 to 13 tons of carbon. And that’s without factoring in the impact of crushing, refining and transporting.
If we add the environmental and social implants of cobalt and graphite to the mix, then it is even more evident our battery technology is still far from perfect. We need to recycle every ounce of those minerals, and invest even more effort in sustainable battery electrodes.
Breaking News
Breakthrough Zero-Lithium Battery on Cards
Powering Large Container Ships with Batteries
