The US wants to fix its broken lithium battery supply chain
0Reported today on The Verge
For the full article visit: https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/8/22524663/us-lithium-battery-supply-chain-broken
Reported today in The Verge.
The US wants to fix its broken lithium battery supply chain
The US announced plans to build out a domestic supply chain for lithium batteries, which are critical for electric vehicles and renewable energy. Its new goal is to be able to do nearly everything - from mining to manufacturing and recycling batteries - within its borders by the end of the decade. If it fails, the US could struggle to meet its own climate goals and compete in the growing electric vehicle industry.
The Department of Energy (DOE) released a "national blueprint" today outlining how it plans to boost America's ability to make lithium batteries. Demand for these batteries has already skyrocketed for electronics and electric vehicles. Spruced-up electricity grids will also need large batteries to accommodate increasing amounts of solar and wind power. In its blueprint, the DOE even makes a case for battery-powered planes to take to the skies.
Right now, the US is a small player in the global battery industry. China dominates both battery manufacturing and mineral supply chains. On its current trajectory, the US is expected to be able to supply less than half the projected demand for lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles on its roads by 2028.
"These projections show there is a real threat that U.S. companies will not be able to benefit from domestic and global market growth," the blueprint says. "Our supply chains for the transportation, utility, and aviation sectors will be vulnerable and beholden to others for key technologies."
A lot of what's holding the US back, according to the DOE, is a lack of a national strategy. So to turn things around, the DOE laid out its priorities for federal investment in the technology this decade. One of the biggest problems to