resources sector
AusIMM
09 Aug 2021 · 500 words, 2 min readAusIMM’s Lithium and Battery Metals Conference 2021 is happening next month, September 1-2, in Perth and online. Ken Brinsden (pictured), Managing Director and CEO of Pilbara Minerals, is part of our stellar line up of keynote speakers. We recently chatted to Ken on his focus for Lithium and Battery Metals 2021 and the incredible opportunities opening up thanks to ‘new energy’ solutions.
The last 12 months have been a key turning point in lithium raw material demand, according to Ken, with more opportunities for miners of materials and metals needed for battery technology. “In response to the global pandemic, governments around the world have stimulated their economies and targeted the ‘new energy’ industry. [They have been] supporting renewable energy and transport electrification initiatives, which in turn require energy storage. In parallel, as the cost and technology of lithium ion batteries improves, they have become the rechargeable battery of choice. The combination of these things has brought forward lithium raw material demand, which is now starting to drive incentive pricing to grow available supply.”
Ken sees this high demand for new energy as an opportunity for the resources sector to evolve and create new ways of operating, “The battery metals sector represents a huge opportunity for the natural resources industry to step outside its historical legacy. Now, there is a chance to inspire a new generation of professionals to the industry supporting electrification and ‘new energy’ solutions.”
Pilbara Minerals is well-placed to make the most of growing demand with its own Pilgangoora Lithium-Tantalum project. “The project is significant in the scale of its resource, and is well-positioned in the Pilbara region, being close to Port Hedland and other major infrastructure.”
Ken discusses how the team at Pilbara Minerals are developing innovations set to enable sustained development, with some strategies already in place, “Pilbara Minerals is working hard on initiatives (like our proposed JV with Calix, developing alternative lithium salts) that will value-add products at the Pilgangoora project. The effect will be to materially reduce the carbon intensity of lithium raw material for global markets.”
The lithium conference theme is ‘Minerals Powering Tomorrow’, and Ken believes working in battery materials is an opportunity to decarbonise global energy networks. “[This] is a key priority as we work to both minimise global warming and reduce the cost of energy supply through renewables. By working within the battery metals subsector of the resources economy, you are part of the solution – and who wouldn’t want to be part of that?”
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