If you have not already seen it, the US Department of Energy’s National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries is seen as a good example policy, if Australia is too become a battery superpower.
The US goal is to reduce U.S. lithium-battery manufacturing dependence on scarce materials, especially cobalt and nickel, in order to develop a stronger, more secure and resilient supply chain.
GOAL 5 Maintain and advance U.S. battery technology leadership by strongly supporting scientific R&D, STEM education, and workforce development:
Near-term objective (2025) [page 22]
Support research to develop cobalt-free cathode materials and electrode compositions focused on important metrics such as energy density, electrochemical stability, safety, and cost that outperform their current commercial, imported counterparts.
Long-term objectives (2030) [page 22]
1. Develop cobalt- and nickel-free cathode materials and electrode compositions that improve important metrics such as energy density, electrochemical stability, safety, and cost and outperform their current commercial, imported counterparts.
2. Accelerate R&D to enable the demonstration and at-scale production of revolutionary battery technologies including solid-state and Li-metal, that achieve a production cost of less than $60/kWh, a specific energy of 500 Wh/kg, and are cobalt- and nickel-free.
Note: Manganese is a material to watch given it is on the United States Geological Survey list and has the potential to increase in content in the cathode if the long-term goal is to reduce or eliminate nickel and cobalt content. [see Footnote 13 on page 10]
Cheers
These are only my thoughts and it does not constitute investment advice. Before acting on any information you read and before making any financial or investment decisions, you should always consult your advisor(s) or other relevant professional experts.
COB Price at posting:
43.0¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Not Held
