There is a race to expand EV production that seems to have picked up speed in recent years. The key to the ability to ramp up production and standardize EVs is, of course, the battery. EV batteries are rechargeable batteries, most commonly lithium–ion or lithium–polymer batteries, that rely on sourcing raw materials that are expensive, energy–intensive, and environmentally damaging to produce.
It is notable that while Biden did invoke a Cold War–era law at the end of March 2022 to boost domestic mineral and metals mining, his plan does not earmark funding for new mining projects. Rather, it allocates funds for boosting U.S. processing and reclamation of the raw materials for battery production.
Based on the IEA report, demand for graphite is expected to increase 25× over the next 20 years, while lithium demand will increase by a factor of 70. One way to alleviate the burden of extracting new materials is through recycling. No recycling method will solve all the scarcity issues, but the end–of–life (EOL) conditions of EV batteries certainly require attention as the production of EVs ramps up.
Tirupati Graphite PLC (LON:TGR) is a fully integrated specialist graphite and graphene producer, with operations in Madagascar and India, with a vision of developing a world-leading benchmark flake graphite company.
