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Sustainability challenges throughout the electric vehicle battery value chain
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Minerals and Metallurgical Engineering.
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts, Social Sciences.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1574-3862
Independent Researcher, 39 Kiewiet Street, Helikon Park, Randfontein, 1759, South Africa.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3952-3728
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Minerals and Metallurgical Engineering.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4861-1903
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2024 (English)In: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews, ISSN 1364-0321, E-ISSN 1879-0690, Vol. 191, article id 114176Article, review/survey (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The global commitment to decarbonizing the transport sector has resulted in an unabated growth in the markets for electric vehicles and their batteries. Consequently, the demand for battery raw materials is continuously growing. As an illustration, to meet the net-zero emissions targets, the electric vehicle market demand for lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite will increase 26-times, 6-times, 12-times, and 9-times respectively between 2021 and 2050. There are diverse challenges in meeting this demand, requiring the world to embrace technological and knowledge advancements and new investments without provoking conflicts between competing goals. The uncertainties in a sustainable supply of battery minerals, environmental, social and governance complexities, and geopolitical tensions throughout the whole battery value chain have shaped the global and regional concerns over the success of transport decarbonization. Here, focusing on the entire value chain of electric vehicle batteries, the approaches adopted by regulatory agencies, governments, mining companies, vehicle and battery manufacturers, and all the other stakeholders are evaluated. Bringing together all these aspects, this literature review broadens the scope for providing multifaceted solutions necessary to optimize the goal of transport decarbonization while upholding sustainability criteria. Consolidating the previously fragmented information, a solid foundation for more in-depth research on existing difficulties encountered by governmental and industrial actors is created. The outcomes of this study may serve as a baseline to develop a framework for a climate smart and resource efficient supply of batteries considering the unique impacts of individual players.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2024. Vol. 191, article id 114176
Keywords [en]
Climate change, Automotive industry, Battery minerals, Sustainable supply of minerals, Energy supply
National Category
Transport Systems and Logistics
Research subject
Mineral Processing; Political Science; Law
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-103343DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2023.114176ISI: 001138163600001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85180009983OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-103343DiVA, id: diva2:1821130
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2021-02439
Note

Validerad;2024;Nivå 2;2024-02-16 (joosat);

Full text license: CC BY-4.0

Available from: 2023-12-19 Created: 2023-12-19 Last updated: 2024-10-22Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Sustainability challenges in the value chains of battery minerals
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Sustainability challenges in the value chains of battery minerals
2025 (English)Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

To address the climate change issue, a global transition from the current “brown economy” to a “green economy” is imperative. The realization of this worldwide ambition necessitates large-scale electrification which leads to a growing demand for lithium-ion batteries as energy storage technologies. The developing market of batteries requires significant mineral and metal inputs. However, there are diverse challenges, rooted in different stages of a battery value chain, in meeting the escalating demand for battery metals and minerals. These challenges consist of, for example, various uncertainties; the need for building institutional and knowledge capacity; environmental, social, economic, and governance issues; and geopolitical tensions. These challenges can hinder the uninterrupted supply of battery raw materials and propagate through the whole battery value chain affecting all involved stakeholders. This fact reinforces the global concern over how to enhance the resilience of supply for each battery raw material, while upholding sustainable development goals. The aim of this research work is to contribute to the development of the knowledge domains that are considered prerequisites to the supply sustainability of battery minerals and a real green transition.  

Here, considering the entire value chain of a lithium-ion battery, the approaches adopted by regulatory agencies, governments, mining companies, and vehicle and battery manufacturers are evaluated. The objectives of this evaluation are to discern and categorize gaps and opportunities in the implemented strategies, to identify key criteria for resilient and sustainable battery mineral value chain, and to analyze the roles of various actors in global mineral supply chains during the transition to a green economy. These assessments are accompanied by the analyses of the factors threatening the primary supply of the selected battery raw materials including lithium, cobalt, graphite, and nickel. The purpose of these in-depth analyses is to comprehend the interplay between mine production of each individual battery raw material and a multitude of risks and uncertainties, which is a valuable asset to supply chain management. 

Moreover, another objective of this work is to predict the future mining production of the selected battery raw materials in twenty years ahead. To achieve this, three time series forecasting techniques namely Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average, Holt’s linear trend methods, and Holt-Winters techniques are Utilized. Predicting the future regional and global mining production of battery raw materials provides decision makers with a knowledge platform about the dynamics of supply security in the future. This platform can also help the stakeholders engaged in the different stages of a battery value chain to adopt sound strategies to minimize the probability of demand and supply imbalance in the future.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Luleå University of Technology, 2025
Series
Licentiate thesis / Luleå University of Technology, ISSN 1402-1757
Keywords
Climate Change, Battery Minerals, Sustainable Supply, Supply Disruptions, Production Forecasting
National Category
Metallurgy and Metallic Materials
Research subject
Mineral Processing
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-110506 (URN)978-91-8048-690-3 (ISBN)978-91-8048-691-0 (ISBN)
Presentation
2024-01-23, E632, Luleå Univeristy of Technology, Luleå, 09:30 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 155189
Available from: 2024-10-22 Created: 2024-10-22 Last updated: 2024-12-11Bibliographically approved

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Jannesar Niri, AnahitaPoelzer, Gregory A.Rosenkranz, JanPettersson, MariaGhorbani, Yousef

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