Dow Technology 1.5 billion yuan plus lithium battery materials

　　Dow Technology has been actively deploying the new energy materials industry since 2016, and has successively invested and controlled Qingdao Haoxin and Jiana Energy. In 2017, Dow Technologies publicly issued convertible bonds to raise funds for the construction of the "Lepidolite Comprehensive Development and Utilization Industrialization Project", which uses lepidolite as a raw material to produce lithium carbonate. So far, Dow Technology has formed a more comprehensive industrial chain in the field of lithium battery materials.

　　With the increasing use of the automotive industry, the need to improve the recycling of lithium-ion batteries has become more and more important.

　　With their extensive use in various devices and increasing use in the automotive industry, the need to improve the recycling of lithium-ion batteries has become more and more important.

　　As recently as 2014, there were only three planned "battery giant batteries" with annual battery production capacity exceeding 1GWh. These factories are planned on a global scale: Tesla's Gigafactory in the United States, LGChem's factory in Nanjing, China, and Foxconn's factory in China-never built for the last time. According to the data of BenchmarkMineralIntelligence, there are currently 26 battery factories are producing or expanding production capacity. The company specializes in price evaluation and analysis of lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite anode raw materials. He explained that the total capacity of these power plants is 344.5 GWh. It expects the global supply in 2017 to be approximately 100GWh.

　　Although it is expected that a large number of new batteries produced in the near future will not reach the end of life for many years in the future, a large number and increasing number of batteries are already doing so. According to a recent analysis by CreationInn, a professional consulting firm for energy storage and circular economy, the total amount of recycled lithium may reach 5,800 to 30,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) by 2025. Cobalt is expected to reach 22,500 tons. However, due to the poor collection system of portable batteries and good prospects for reuse as a practical scale storage of car batteries, the amount of materials that can be used for recycling is limited.

　　His report found the prerequisite of the global circulation model, that is, the battery is used from the first to the second use, and finally recycled in a closed-loop solution, bringing old materials into the new battery.

　　From the perspective of raw materials, lithium batteries, cobalt batteries, nickel batteries, and manganese batteries and other renewable battery minerals can already be found in today's new batteries. However, according to HansEricMelin, a consultant at CreationInn, the author of the study is a research report on recycling opportunities in the lithium-ion industry, and there are very few quantities associated with the rapidly growing demand for materials-especially lithium. The implementation of additional regenerative capacity and new technologies, as well as the investment in rising lithium and cobalt prices, have provided an important impetus for change.

　　He predicts that by 2025, the cobalt content in regenerated batteries will reach nearly 20% of the demand. It is expected that most of these materials will be recycled and re-synthesized into new cathode materials that can be used in the process of Chinese cathode manufacturers.

　　China is responsible

　　According to reports, more than 66% of lithium-ion batteries, or 191,000 tons, are expected to be recycled in China, which provides feed for the country’s fast-growing battery material industry. If you do not consider production waste or other sources, the proportion of important cobalt-containing batteries will be as high as 76%.

　　Melin has worked in the battery recycling industry for eight years, and has worked in the energy and environment-related industries for more than 15 years. He said that when the output in Europe and North America finally increases, the recycling industry in China will prove to have a strong competitive advantage technology. And available capacity.

　　"The limited recycling of lithium-ion batteries in Europe and North America has nothing to do with the lack of technology, but the result of a policy framework that does not recognize the value of the reuse of batteries currently driving their overseas use. From a recycling perspective, it It actually works very well, but it cannot provide much support for the government's ambitions to obtain key raw materials in the European Union, the United States and Canada," Melin said.

　　second life

　　There is a major factor that may delay and limit the number of automotive lithium-ion batteries used for material recycling, so they may be reused. According to Melin, by taking back electric vehicle batteries and using them in utility-scale storage solutions, there is an excellent opportunity to capture most of the energy storage market.

　　He said that the model connects well with similar solutions for vehicle-to-grid, where the vehicle is used as a grid-connected battery. The model also provides a strong growth opportunity, while also compensating for the revenue that will be lost when spare parts and service sales decline due to limited demand for repairing new electric vehicles. CreationInn's analysis predicts that at least 60% of electric car batteries will be used for second-use solutions before being sent for recycling.

　　Global Alliance

　　Closing the cycle of lithium-ion batteries is not only an environmental issue, but also an ethical issue. Many of the materials contained in these batteries are mined in dangerous and dirty conditions-usually by children.

　　Large human and environmental costs: An Amnesty International report highlighted the widespread use of child labor in cobalt mining. Materials such as lithium, nickel, manganese, and graphite are also related to pollution, water scarcity and other environmental and social issues.

　　In response to this situation, last year's World Economic Forum Sustainable Development Impact Summit announced the Global Battery Alliance. It aims to create a responsible value chain for the fast-growing battery market, from mining and chemical industries to manufacturers, electronics, automotive and energy companies.

　　The main technology, mining, manufacturing, automotive and energy businesses are working hand in hand with UNICEF, African Development Bank, other international organizations and non-governmental organizations to create a responsible global battery supply market in one market by 2025 The market value will reach 100 billion U.S. dollars.

　　The alliance aims to protect workers, prohibit the use of child labor, eliminate pollution, promote reuse and recycling, and develop green energy storage innovations. The organization stated that the battery capacity needs to be increased by 12 times to meet consumer demand and the promise of a low-carbon economy. By 2025, the market may reach 100 billion U.S. dollars, and by 2040, batteries installed in homes and businesses will account for 57% of the world's energy storage capacity.