Fools, may recall my pronouncements that there is insufficient mines to produce the raw materials needed to enable a rapid change over to EV’s
An example of this can be found in todays presentation from Pilbara Minerals a world leading lithium miner.
If you go here
https://www2.asx.com.au/markets/trade-our-cash-market/todays…
Look for the PLS ticker, you will find a presentation highlighting this dramatically, its too complicated a chart to explain, plus remember this is only one material
I heard that the mining isn’t really all that difficult.
It is the refining to a battery grade product that is harder.
(Heard on a podcast last week…sorry, no link)
Mike
https://www.mining.com/web/the-trouble-with-lithium/
Not enough lithium being mined.
However, per the article, only about 50% of the lithium can be recovered.
“Current technology recovers only about 50% of the lithium in the brine.”
New tech needed to recover the discarded lithium in the brine. BIG money to whoever figures it out.
I heard that the mining isn’t really all that difficult.
It is the refining to a battery grade product that is harder.
And getting permits to open new mines is even much, much, much, harder!
The Captain
Refining always produces waste streams to deal with. In oil refineries they can usually be burned as fuel. In minerals processing it means piles of stuff. Sometimes the waste can go into aggregates for concrete or asphalt.
But all the problems of coal ash apply. Toxic elements can be present. That drives regulators nuts.
Permitting problems is no surprise.