Despite this plant being built to move away from Russian power, battery plants can come with their own geopolitical implications, as many farms are built with lithium and lithium-ion manufactured in China.
Research from the Atlantic Council shows that the U.S. is currently heavily reliant on lithium manufactured in China, specifically in its EV manufacturing and specialized batteries, as 80 percent of the world’s battery cells, and 60 percent of the EV battery market are owned and controlled by Chinese companies.
Chinese companies have invested in mines across the world that produce the element, resulting in a near-monopoly of the substance.
However, Reuters reported in 2021 about an Estonian research study into using peat for building sodium-ion batteries.
These batteries, according to researchers, are cheaper than lithium-ion batteries and can be used alongside lithium-ion to bring down the cost of batteries for EVs and other needs.
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Publish date : 2024-10-17 13:33:00
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