Can circular economy and cathode chemistry evolution stabilize the supply chain of Li-ion batteries?

The adoption of electric vehicles in recent years has resulted in significant changes to the supply chain of many elements such as cobalt and lithium. A rise in electric vehicle sales has put increasing pressure on limited supplies of cobalt and lithium; to facilitate access to these commodities, many manufacturers have established close working relationships with suppliers. Cathode evolution focuses on reducing the amount of cobalt in the cathode layers and increasing the amount of nickel without compromising the electrical characteristics and durability of the cells. While such a trend alone cannot relieve the stress on critical material supplies, the industry also works on recycling high-value materials from end-of-life batteries which can help secure sustainable sources of cheaper, yet environmentally-friendly materials. A quick glance at the present supply chain shows that China is leading the world in terms of investment in the cobalt mining industry in Africa, refining and processing raw materials, cell production, and in the number of the produced and sold electric vehicles. Lithium is another critical material, but its supply chain is more diverse and production capacity can be increased easier than that of cobalt, thus making it less critical from the supply perspective. This vertical integration has given China more advantages in securing required materials for its local manufacturers and at the same time left other international manufacturers puzzled about how they can secure flows of critical materials for their growing production needs. Adoption of effective recycling methods such as hydrometallurgical means, can partly but not fully offset the gap between demands and supplies in many regions around the world.