Rare earths: EU relies on uneconomical mines
Rare earths: EU relies on uneconomic mines In its rush to become independent of China for critical raw materials, the EU agreed on a raw materials regulation in record time. Securing the sought-after materials should be achieved through raw material partnerships with third countries, more circular economy and the own extraction of critical raw materials within the EU. Domestic mining should therefore [...]
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Scandium: From Soviet Secrets to China's Monopoly
Scandium: From Soviet secret to Chinese monopoly Because of the potentially high demand for climate technologies such as the hydrogen industry, the West is trying to produce its own production of the expensive rare earth metal. The aerospace and automotive industries could benefit from a safe and cheap supply of scandium. A week ago the second trilogue meeting on Critical Raw Materials took place in Brussels […]
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Rare earths: China is firmly in the saddle, despite the Pentagon investing millions
Rare earths: China is firmly in the saddle, despite millions in investments by the Pentagon China is closely guarding its dominant position in rare earths and the production of permanent magnets, which are relevant for climate technologies and the military. An Asia expert warns that China is exerting influence on western industry, which hardly exists, through hidden ties. Mike Pompeo traveled […]
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E-car batteries: Nickel from Indonesia instead of Russia
E-car batteries: Nickel from Indonesia instead of Russia The demand for nickel for cathodes will multiply by 2030. So far, the emerging EU battery industry has been dependent on Russian nickel. Because of the war in Ukraine, nickel from Indonesia is very popular. There, however, mining threatens primeval forests and isolated indigenous peoples. Joko Widodo's popularity limited […]
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Auto industry biggest driver for cobalt mining
The automotive industry is the biggest driver of cobalt mining The continuing miserable mining conditions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are casting a shadow over the otherwise clean image of electromobility. Even if there are now alternatives, cobalt will remain indispensable for electric cars in the medium term. Despite price volatility and sometimes inhumane working conditions, global mining increased to 2021 tons in 175.000, according to The Cobalt Institute. Corresponding […]
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Lithium industry: need for improvement in carbon footprint and water consumption
Lithium industry: need for improvement in the CO2 balance and water consumption No matter which battery chemistry will prevail in electric cars in the coming years: lithium will remain an irreplaceable component in traction batteries in the future. The demand for the light metal will increase dramatically in the coming years - and with it the ecological problems associated with mining. Demand […]
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Aluminum manufacturers are going green and may risk shutting down the market.
Aluminum manufacturers are going green and may risk shutting down the market. Tesla orders huge aluminum casting presses for its assembly line in Germany. The "Gigapress" is the size of a small house and with a single module it will replace around 70 parts that are currently being glued and riveted into the car's chassis. Aluminum is one of the materials of choice for [...]
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Britain wants faster to the purely electric car
Britain wants to move faster to all-electric cars Britain's shift from oil to electricity in road transport has accelerated, albeit at a low level, with a significant impact on oil consumption towards the end of the decade. Ultra-low emissions vehicles (ULEVs) made up nearly 2020% of all UK first quarter 7 in Q2020 XNUMX […]
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According to the Ocean Panel, deep-sea mining could destroy undiscovered life forms
According to the Ocean Panel, deep-sea mining could destroy undiscovered life forms.Mining on the seabed should not begin until a full assessment of likely environmental impacts can be made, according to a report commissioned by the High-Level Ocean Panel has been. Environmentalists, including the British David Attenborough, have a ban [...]
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Tesla signs cobalt deal with Glencore
Tesla's reluctant attitude towards cobalt is a warning to others. The unpredictable Elon Musk strikes again. Just as his electric vehicle company Tesla seemed to be moving away from using cobalt in its batteries, he signed a long-term supply contract for the controversial metal with Glencore. This from the man who swore to remove cobalt from the Tesla product mix [...]
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