How does battery demand affect nickel & lithium demand?

Battery demand for lithium stood at around 140 kt in 2023, 85% of total lithium demand and up more than 30% compared to 2022; for cobalt, demand for batteries was up 15% at 150 kt, 70% of the total. To a lesser extent, battery demand growth contributes to increasing total demand for nickel, accounting for over 10% of total nickel demand.

How will next-generation batteries impact the future?

To address these limitations, a number of next-generation battery technologies including high-nickel, silicon anode-based, lithium–sulfur, lithium–air, and solid-state batteries have been developed. However, the energy requirements and resulting greenhouse gas emissions are yet unknown, which could impact their future commercialization.

How to break a capacity bottleneck?

For optimal kinetics compatibility, the key to breaking the capacity bottleneck is maintaining the mass transport deep within the electrode, instead of just accelerating oxygen diffusion at the oxygen inlet. As a proof of concept, the capacity limit is boosted by 150% by introducing breathing channels on the separator side.

How important is battery recycling?

Typically, the battery pack accounts for about 30%‒40% of the total cost of an EV. This underscores the importance of efficient battery recycling; we will talk about recycling in a later section. On the other hand, developing low-cost batteries, such as low-material-cost lithium batteries and other metal-based batteries, is important.

Are lithium-oxygen batteries a good energy storage technology?

Lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs), with significantly higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries, have emerged as a promising technology for energy storage and power 1, 2, 3, 4. Research on LOBs has been a focal point, showing great potential for high-rate performance and stability 1, 5, 6, 7.

What is the energy consumption involved in industrial-scale manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries?

The energy consumption involved in industrial-scale manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries is a critical area of research. The substantial energy inputs, encompassing both power demand and energy consumption, are pivotal factors in establishing mass production facilities for battery manufacturing.