The challenges dealing with vital minerals provide chains – together with graphite – have been on the radar of governments, policymakers and companies throughout the globe for years, and but we’re nonetheless hurtling in the direction of a provide disaster.
One such vital mineral is graphite, which makes up 95% of the anode materials in lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries – nearly half the overall quantity. Regardless of its important position within the transition, the current IEA Vital Mineral Outlook Report 2024 cited graphite because the vital mineral with the very best provide danger rating in relation to geopolitical publicity.
If we’re to make sure a safe provide of this mineral as economies transition, we should handle three key challenges:
- Assembly demand, with a graphite provide deficit of 777,000 tonnes (t) per 12 months anticipated by 2030, in line with Worldwide Vitality Company (IEA).
- Decreasing dependence on Chinese language graphite provides, which account for 93% of graphite anode manufacturing, in line with Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
- Combatting graphite’s low environmental, social and governance (ESG) rating, which makes reliance on the mineral in its present kind a problem in relation to a really inexperienced transition.
The dimensions of the graphite provide disaster
Inside present provide chains, there are two types of graphite used: artificial and mined.
![Properties of synthetic vs natural graphite (Source: GlobalData)](https://www.mining-technology.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2024/06/Types-of-Graphite-1024x520.png)
Manufacturing of artificial graphite, which is favoured by companies as a result of its larger high quality, is each time-consuming and energy-intensive, requiring weeks to provide and intensely excessive temperatures.
Mined graphite, alternatively is of an unpredictable high quality and is determined by opening new mines. To fulfill growing demand, we would wish not less than 100 extra mines, with every requiring a prolonged, costly allowing course of taking as much as seven years.
Lastly, the manufacturing of battery-grade graphite from mined graphite is determined by fossil carbon, making each kinds weak to cost fluctuations that may sluggish manufacturing, and reliant on a feedstock and course of that isn’t solely polluting however will run out.
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To compound the difficulty additional, the Western world’s historic lack of deal with constructing its personal vital mineral provide chains has meant China is about to manage greater than 90% of the provision of battery-grade graphite by 2030. That is having a major influence on US and European markets because the automotive trade competes in opposition to Chinese language producers that may supply graphite nearer to residence, for a lower cost – threatening nations’ economies and the inexperienced transition.
As electrification ramps up, the localisation of those vital minerals provide chains has moved up the agenda for policymakers. The Inflation Discount Act within the US and the European Inexperienced Deal have despatched clear alerts that that is entrance of thoughts for these economies – it’s important to assembly demand.
Graphite’s ESG credentials
Based on the IEA, graphite has the bottom common social and governance rating for mining, growing its ESG and local weather danger publicity considerably.
Whereas China controls 80% of pure graphite manufacturing, a lot of that is imported from mines in Africa. These lengthy and complex provide chains are an issue. Not solely can they influence worth, however additionally they improve the emissions related to graphite.
It’s not unusual to see graphite travelling round 50,000km earlier than it’s utilized in Europe, with current research additionally suggesting that emissions for graphite mining are severely under-reported.
![](https://www.mining-technology.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2024/06/Global-Graphite-Reserves-by-Country.png)
Supporting a greener transition
With vital minerals enjoying such a necessary position within the power transition, it is important that we discover a resolution to the moral questions mining graphite poses. If provide chains have been to grow to be extra sustainable, this could allow communities to reap the total advantages of a thriving mining trade – by way of boosting employment, tax revenue and funding – with out scarring the Earth.
The sector now faces an necessary and tough query; how a lot ought to we actually be counting on pure graphite, a finite useful resource that comes from fossil carbon, as we goal to decarbonise our techniques?
The position of biomaterials in graphite provide
Regardless of the sluggish begin, there’s a approach for Western economies to safe provide chains: biomaterials. As a substitute of counting on damaging mining or energy-intensive artificial choices, biomaterials can typically be manufactured regionally and from renewable feedstocks, selling a extra round and moral financial system.
Biographite, for instance, is produced from the byproducts of the forestry trade, particularly wooden chips. This renewable feedstock contrasts sharply with graphite flakes sourced from mines in Africa, as it’s native, ample, low-cost and sustainable.
![](https://www.mining-technology.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2024/06/shutterstock_2432461635_-1024x683.jpg)
From a carbon perspective, artificial graphite emits on common 25–35t of CO₂ per tonne of graphite produced, versus 10-15t for pure graphite. Biographite may have a unfavourable carbon footprint because it utilises a major feedstock, which locks in atmospheric CO₂ and low temperature processes. Moreover, by enabling localised manufacturing close to electrical automobile (EV) manufacturing services, it reduces the emissions related to long-distance delivery.
Biographite additionally persistently outperforms conventional artificial graphite, which is favoured by battery producers over mined graphite. It’s a drop-in alternative that may be produced wherever with a forestry trade, permitting international locations to scale back dependence on lengthy and complex provide chains and take management of their very own provide, bolstering native economies and inexperienced job creation.
As soon as scaled, CarbonScape initiatives that sufficient biographite could possibly be produced to fulfil greater than half the projected international demand for graphite in Li-ion batteries, all whereas utilizing lower than 5% of the forestry trade’s annual byproducts in Europe and North America.
Can biomaterials help the power transition?
The present trajectory of the trade is unsustainable, with huge questions across the reliance on mined graphite in face of rising demand.
Finally, the trail to a cheap, climate-positive future lies in onshoring the manufacturing of sustainable biomaterials like biographite – not opening extra mines. This won’t solely present EV producers with a safe provide by way of cheaper, cleaner and shorter provide chains however may even open new avenues for native job creation and inexperienced trade improvement.
Concerning the writer: Vincent Ledoux-Pedailles, a industrial chief within the battery area, was CCO at Vulcan Vitality, securing main OEM offtakes and co-leading greater than €500m in funding. He was appointed as a vital uncooked supplies professional by the European Fee and beforehand led battery supplies analysis at IHS Markit, protecting the trade’s provide chain.