Industry: Batteries & energy storage

Concerns over potential supply shortages and price volatility, stemming from China’s significant control over rare earth metal exports (80% in 2019) and historical instances of export restrictions, are prompting governments and private entities to pursue new projects and diversify sourcing to reduce reliance on China. 1  

Nickel is a critical mineral with ~70% of current demand being dominated by stainless steel followed by 25% for manufacture of alloys, special steels, and coatings, and 5% for electric batteries. While demand from stainless steel and alloys will likely remain robust in the medium-term, significant demand growth is expected to arise from nickel’s application […]

The projected surge in clean energy technologies (EVs, batteries, energy storage, and clean power) over the next decade will dramatically increase demand for critical minerals like copper, nickel, cobalt, lithium, manganese, graphite, and REEs, making their adequate supply crucial. The application and demand growth for these minerals will vary across technologies.

Manganese is mainly used in steel production, but its use in EV batteries, especially in cobalt-free designs like LMO (61% cathode) and NMC (20-30% cathode), presents a growth opportunity.

Lithium-ion batteries were the primary driver of cobalt demand in 2020 (57%), with cobalt comprising about one-fifth of a typical cathode due to its benefits in charge rates and corrosion resistance. Despite these advantages, battery manufacturers are seeking to decrease their reliance on cobalt.

Copper is an important metal that we heavily rely on for power, lighting, heating, communications, and more. It conducts both heat and electricity very well, and it can be formed and stretched into complex surfaces without breaking due to its high ductility and malleability. These physical properties make copper highly favorable for electrical equipment and […]

September 6, 2018 – The American Institute of Chemical Engineers- South Texas Location Section is a monthly meeting, held this time at The Bougainvilleas in Houston, TX. The dinner speaker for the meeting was CEO of ADI Analytics, Uday Turaga. The presentation titled “North America: A future LNG Superpower,” focused on North America’s potential to become a truly global player for LNG. The […]

Electrification of the transportation sector is one of the frontrunners of the energy transition and is supported and enabled by EV charging infrastructure.

In 2020, the energy transition thrived amid a difficult energy landscape due to heightened demand, policy support, technological progress, and diversification by incumbents.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced the oil and gas upstream sector into a survival mode characterized by drastic CAPEX reductions, postponed deals, and widespread renegotiations due to plummeting crude oil prices and demand.

President-elect Joe Biden has committed to build 500,000 electric vehicle (EV) chargers by 2030. However, United States is expected to have nearly 15 million electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030. EV adoption is expected to be fueled by decarbonization goals, decreasing battery costs, growing efficiency, and EV model growth. Another important driver that will drive EV […]

What are challenges facing energy transition and how is innovation addressing them?