ONTARIO PROPOSES CAPITAL MARKETS REFORMS / 2 Geotech_Earlug_2016_Alt2.pdf 1 2016-06-24 4:27:20 PM
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OCTOBER 12—25, 2020 / VOL. 106 ISSUE 21 / GLOBAL MINING NEWS · SINCE 1915 / $5.25 / WWW.NORTHERNMINER.COM
Tesla to eliminate cobalt from its electric vehicles COBALT
| Production of new type of battery cell has already begun
License to operate still top concern for miners according to EY report ESG
| Geopolitical risks also expected to impact the sector
BY BRUNO VENDITTI
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Tesla vehicle lineup at the company’s Battery Day event in Freemont, California, Sept. 22, 2020. STEVE JURVETSON, FLICKR
BY CARL A. WILLIAMS cwilliams@northernminer.com
A
t Tesla’s live-streamed Battery Technology Day on Sept. 22, CEO Elon Musk outlined the company’s plans to build a US$25,000 electric vehicle (EV) with a cheaper, more powerful battery that doesn’t contain cobalt, and the construction of a new cathode plant. The new battery technology, which the company plans to manufacture in-house, will lower the cost of its EVs and extend their range by 16% thanks to a six-fold increase in power. Musk didn’t provide details on the exact cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh), a key metric used to measure the performance of an EV’s battery pack. However, changes to battery chemistry and how the battery pack is made, he said, will reduce the costs per kWh by 56%, suggesting a cost below the US$100 per kWh threshold that is generally accepted for EVs to be price competitive with gasolinepowered cars. Production of the new battery cell, called the “4680-cell” because of its 46 millimetre diameter and 80 millimetre height, has already commenced with ten gigawatt-hours (GWh) of annual capacity expected
before the end of 2021. According to Wood Mackenzie, an energy research and consulting firm, the new design can cause thermal and rapid charging issues. However, Tesla claims to have overcome these issues by removing the tabs that act as the positive and negative connection points between the anode and cathode and the battery casing. The tab-less design will reduce the cell’s winding and increase production rates and could result in around 20% less copper and aluminum content in the cell, said analysts at BMO Capital Markets. Consultants Wood Mackenzie noted that the tab-less design is yet to appear in any other commercialized EV battery cell. Tesla also intends to eliminate cobalt in battery cathodes by switching to batteries that use less costly metals such as nickel and manganese. In recent years, battery manufacturers have been focussed on cathode design, particularly the ratio of nickel, cobalt, and manganese used in cathodes. Manufacturers, including Tesla, are moving towards high-nickel cathodes with lower cobalt content. But this has proved challenging See COBALT GOLD / 8
PART 2 OF OUR COVID-19 SURVEY / 5
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icense to operate (LTO) remains, for the third consecutive year, the number one issue for miners, according to a survey by Ernst & Young with over 250 executives, while a shifting balance of power among the world’s largest economies has created a new geopolitical risk. The annual EY Top 10 business risks and opportunities 2021 report shows 63% of executives view LTO as the biggest risk facing their business as stakeholder expectations evolve, up from 44% last year. The departure of Rio Tinto’s (NYSE: RIO; LSE: RIO) CEO JeanSebastien Jacques over the destruction of ancient Aboriginal heritage sites in Australia has put mining executives globally on notice, and EY says miners will need to work with governments and sector associations to help shape the messaging of the societal contribution and value derived from the mining sector.
“THERE IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO REMOVE COMPLEXITY, OVERCOME HISTORICAL OBSTACLES TO CHANGE, AND ACCELERATE A TRANSFORMATION AGENDA.” PAUL MITCHELL, EY GLOBAL MINING AND METALS LEADER
“We expect the issue to become even more important as stakeholders broaden and develop a stronger voice,” the report states. “Local communities will have greater expectations around how miners respect See ESG / 8
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