Regionalized life cycle assessment of present and future lithium production for Li-ion batteries

Schenker, Vanessa; Oberschelp, Christopher; Pfister, Stephan

doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106611

Cited by 54 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…While the former has attracted increased attention [16][17][18] , LCA practitioners have primarily relied on secondary data from LCA databases to account for the CF of producing battery materials. As new data emerges regarding the climate impact of producing key battery materials, such as lithium 19,20 , cobalt 21,22 , nickel 23 , manganese 24 and graphite 25,26 , it has become evident that their CF varies significantly depending on the type and ore grade at source and production location 19,27 . Such variability upstream of the battery value chain causes major uncertainties regarding the cradle-to-gate CF of LIBs, which remain to be understood in a high level of detail.…”

Section: Mainmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reference source not found.a illustrates the CF (in kg CO2-eq kg -1 ) of battery materials reported across literature studies, LCA databases and industry reports. Lithium is the most studied material, with recent reviews covering the production and conversion of Li2CO3 and LiOH through brine and spodumene resources 19,20 . The CF for LiOH varies between 5.5 and 19.2 kg CO2-eq kg -1 and that of Li2CO3 between 2.1 and 33 kg CO2-eq kg -1 .…”

Section: Carbon Footprint Of Battery Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Think global act local: The dependency of global lithium-ion battery emissions on production location and material sources

Kallitsis,

Lindsay,

Chordia

et al. 2024

Journal of Cleaner Production

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Section: Mainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Carbon Footprint Of Battery Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Think global act local: The dependency of global lithium-ion battery emissions on production location and material sources

Kallitsis,

Lindsay,

Chordia

et al. 2024

Journal of Cleaner Production

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“…Additionally, energy demand of mining depends on accessibility factors, such as mineralogy, geometry of the ore body, depth of the deposit, or remoteness of the mine site (Frenzel et al, 2017). Differences in extraction technologies strongly influence energy and water demand, as shown for example for lithium mining (Schenker et al, 2022b). Many metals necessary for RE infrastructure are currently mined and processed as co-products in bulk material production (e. g., Co…”

Section: Processability: Mobilizing Flowsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobilizing materials to enable a fast energy transition: a conceptual framework

Desing¹,

Widmer²,

Bardi³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Limiting climate heating while meeting basic needs of all necessitates eliminating fossil carbon emissions. This paper discusses the dynamics of mobilizing materials required for large-scale deployment of renewable energy, which entail: 1) availability of resources in the environment and technosphere; 2) accessibility, which depends on resource quality and available technologies; 3) processability, which depends on energy availability, processing capacity, and environmental impacts on planetary boundaries; and 4) operability, which depends on social acceptance and geopolitical agreements. Also, materials can be mobilized through four routes: 1) increasing primary production; 2) diverting existing primary production; 3) repurposing existing in-use stocks; and 4) re-mining previous wastes and emissions. The interplay of these enabling factors determines the maximum possible rate of material mobilization and thus of the energy transition itself. This paper presents and discusses a framework to explore joint energy-material transformations, enabling to consider material aspects in transition modelling and guide technological developments.

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“…Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are a key climate change mitigation technology, given their role in electrifying the transport sector and enabling deep integration of renewables 1 . The climate benefits of LIB-enabled products are evident 2,3 but the production of battery materials [4][5][6][7] and the subsequent LIB cell manufacturing 8,9 contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions -a problem recognised by stakeholders across the battery ecosystem [10][11][12][13] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon Footprint Distributions of Lithium-Ion Batteries and Their Materials

Peiseler,

Schenker,

Schatzmann

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are pivotal in climate change mitigation, enabling the shift towards renewable energy and electric vehicles. Despite their benefits, LIBs’ own carbon footprint (CF) stemming from material sourcing and manufacturing, raises concerns. Yet, data on CFs of LIBs is scattered, hard to compare and largely overlooks the relevance of battery materials. Here, we go beyond traditional CF analysis and develop a novel cost-based approach, estimating emission curves for the key battery materials lithium, nickel and cobalt based on mining cost data. Combining the emission curves with global battery cell production forecasts, we present the most representative CF distributions for NMC811 and LFP cathode LIBs to date. Our findings reveal the significant impact of material sourcing over production location on CF, with nickel and lithium identified as major contributors to the CF and its variance. This research moves the field forward by offering a nuanced understanding of battery CFs, aiding in the design of decarbonisation policies and strategies.

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Regionalized life cycle assessment of present and future lithium production for Li-ion batteries

Cited by 54 publications

References 30 publications

Think global act local: The dependency of global lithium-ion battery emissions on production location and material sources

Think global act local: The dependency of global lithium-ion battery emissions on production location and material sources

Mobilizing materials to enable a fast energy transition: a conceptual framework

Carbon Footprint Distributions of Lithium-Ion Batteries and Their Materials

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