Interesting stats on EVs and energy use in the US, developments in wind and tidal power, a plastic recycling microfactory, and an "unprecedented collapse" in EU fossil fuel generation.
In what's being called a US first, four companies in the US and Canada have announced that they will be working together to create new EV battery cells with recycled metals.
Global battery maker BASF will work with a graphene energy storage maker in Florida, a Reno-based lithium-ion battery recycling company, and an Ontario-based advanced materials company to create a domestic closed-loop system for using locally recycled content to create lithium-ion EV battery cells. Commercial production of the batteries is set to begin in 2024.
According to this Electrek article , using recycled materials instead of newly mined metals could lead to a 25% drop in CO2 emissions in the production of EV batteries. Not to mention reduce our reliance on lithium mines with abysmal human rights records while helping to mitigate the impact of the lithium shortage experts say is likely fast approaching.
Sounds like a good start – hopefully the project will prove successful and profitable and we will see more reclaiming and recycling of battery materials. We certainly need it! 🙏
