Cobalt-containing batteries: what contribution to the EU e-mobility revolution?
Cobalt Institute
Promoting the sustainable and responsible use of cobalt in all forms
Battery technology is at the core of the EU’s electric transport revolution – a key driver of the EU’s climate goals. Can the EU harness the potential of batteries and become a global leader in electric vehicles?
The adoption of new rules which seek to improve the social and environmental impact of batteries is expected in early 2022. All parts of the value chain are attentively anticipating further developments both in the European Parliament and the Council.
The work in the European Parliament on the Batteries Regulation proposal will start concluding with votes in the Transport and Internal Market Committees scheduled for early December. This will pave the way for the vote in the leading Environment Committee and Plenary early next year. Over in the Council, the Presidency has indicated its aim to find a Progress Report before the Christmas break.
Ahead of this, the Cobalt Institute answers the 5 most frequently asked questions about the role of batteries for the evolving e-vehicle market as well as the wider energy transition.
1.??????Why are rechargeable batteries important for the EU’s climate goals?
As an intrinsic component of electric vehicles (EVs) and other light-means of transport, batteries are core to Europe’s mobility journey towards electrification and therefore decarbonisation. Cobalt batteries powering generators and energy storage systems will also drive forward the EU’s climate goals.
Achieving a 55% emission reduction target by 2030 and zero-emissions by 2050, as well as phasing out the use of internal combustion engines in the lead up to a proposed ban in 2035, requires the EU to rapidly and effectively reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and transition towards clean technologies. The humble battery is a key enabling technology.
2. What are the benefits of cobalt containing batteries?
Cobalt is a key ingredient in most modern lithium-ion batteries?that give electric vehicles the range and durability needed by consumers for a comfortable transition to a greener mobility.?Cobalt’s high energy density allows batteries to be lightweight and energy dense. Its recyclability and energy storage capabilities promote a more sustainable, greener EV battery supply chain.?
Lithium,?cobalt?and nickel play a central role in giving batteries greater performance, longevity and higher energy density?(IEA).?Nickel provides the battery with its capacity – so the range of an electric vehicle – and cobalt stabilizes it, providing the battery’s longevity. Both nickel and cobalt are placed in the cathode side of the battery, which is the part of the battery where discharged electrons are?stored. ?
In terms of end-of-life management, it is the presence of cobalt in the battery that makes recycling economically attractive.? This means that cobalt is an enabling material of the circularity of batteries.
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3. How does cobalt help store energy?
Rechargeable batteries will be crucial not only for decarbonising transport but also for the energy transition. Batteries are indispensable for renewable energy storage systems. Rechargeable batteries store electricity when it is produced so that it can be used when the wind is not blowing, tides are not flowing, or the sun is not shining.
Energy storage is also a prime example of battery circularity. Batteries that are no longer suited for EVs can, with their remaining capacity, still function in static energy storage systems. Global energy storage potential is set to grow in the coming years and the EU will need a strong supply of materials like cobalt.
4. Where is the market heading for EVs?
Between 2019 and 2020, sales of new electric vehicles increased 42% compared to 2019, and sales of new EVs are predicted to increase by 30% year-on-year to 2025. With clear public demand for EVs, many major manufacturers in the automotive sector are shifting from combustion to electric, which could be a gamechanger for the EU’s climate goals. These manufacturers are rushing to produce electric vehicles that can drive ever-longer ranges on shorter charges.
5. How can the EU harness this momentum?
Rechargeable batteries will become indispensable for Europeans – and innovation in the batteries market is moving fast. It is thus very timely that the EU is currently in the process of modernising its legislative framework for batteries.
The draft Batteries Regulation seeks to ensure that batteries sold in the EU are sustainable and safe throughout their entire lifecycle. Once adopted, recycling and recyclability targets will be in place for the most crucial and valuable parts of the battery cathode.
There is a risk, however, that these important sustainability goals will not become a reality if the Batteries Regulation fails to keep pace with a fast-changing market.
Not all battery chemistries, for example lithium iron phosphate (LFP) that is an increasingly utilised battery chemistry in short-trip inner-city EVs, are covered by the recycling and recycled content targets. In the Regulation’s current form, there is no effective mechanism which would allow the rules to change as the makeup of the battery market changes.
As advocates of technological progress as well as the EU’s climate ambitions, the Cobalt Institute and our members are urging for a future proofed system that would ensure the Regulation stands the test of time. That is why we are calling for the text to:
This would mean that no part of the supply chain would be able to operate with lower social and environmental standards. This also avoids creating cost incentives in favour of unregulated, poorly recycled batteries. The opportunities with the Batteries Regulation are clear, and we are passionate about continuing to being a key part of Europe’s e-transport transition.
Read our views on how can the Batteries Regulation stand the test of time.