The processing of critical minerals significantly influences the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with different battery chemistries, impacting the overall environmental benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy technologies.
Key Factors Affecting Emissions from Critical Mineral Processing
- Energy Intensity and Fossil Fuel Dependency: Mining and processing critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt are highly energy-intensive and largely reliant on fossil fuels, contributing substantially to carbon emissions. If current mining practices scale up without change, the emissions from critical mineral extraction will increase drastically, potentially undermining climate goals.
- Source and Method of Mineral Extraction: Different extraction methods have varying emissions. For example, lithium produced from hard rock mining (common in Australia) emits about three times more GHGs than lithium sourced from brine extraction (common in Chile). The trend toward hard rock lithium and lithium hydroxide—which supports battery chemistries with higher nickel content—raises emissions relative to earlier methods and materials.
- Shift in Mineral Demand Profiles: Battery chemistries requiring more nickel (nickel-rich cathodes) involve processing of laterite nickel ores, which are more energy-intensive to produce than sulfide ores. As demand for batteries with higher energy density and longer life grows, corresponding increases in emissions from critical mineral processing are expected.
Impact on Different Battery Chemistries
Battery chemistries vary in their use of minerals, which affects their associated emissions from processing:
- Nickel-Rich Battery Chemistries (e.g., NMC – nickel manganese cobalt, and NCA – nickel cobalt aluminum) require more processing of nickel and lithium hydroxide. These have higher emissions intensities due to more energy-intensive mineral processing pathways.
- Low-Nickel or Cobalt-Free Chemistries (e.g., LFP – lithium iron phosphate) generally have lower emissions from critical mineral processing since their constituent minerals are less energy-intensive to extract and process.
- Overall Emissions Consideration: The total emissions benefit of EVs is influenced by the battery chemistry’s embodied emissions from mineral extraction and processing. EVs using battery chemistries with higher carbon-intensive mineral supply chains offer smaller emissions reductions compared to those using lower-impact chemistries, all else being equal.
Summary
- Processing critical minerals is a major source of GHG emissions due to energy intensity and fossil fuel use.
- The environmental impact varies by mineral extraction method and type, with hard rock lithium and laterite nickel mining being particularly emissions-intensive.
- Battery chemistries with high nickel content, supported by more carbon-intensive mineral processing, have higher embedded emissions.
- Selecting or developing battery chemistries with minerals requiring less energy-intensive processing can enhance the climate benefits of EVs and renewable technologies.
Therefore, addressing emissions in critical mineral processing and choosing less carbon-intensive battery chemistries are essential to maximizing the environmental benefits of the green energy transition.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-does-the-processing-of-critical-minerals-impact-the-emissions-of-different-battery-chemistries/
