The coming lithium & cobalt crunch?

The researchers concluded that cobalt-free battery technologies (including post-lithium technologies based on non-critical elements such as sodium, magnesium, zinc, calcium and aluminium) represent possible ways to decrease the dependency on lithium and cobalt over the long term. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Wrong just go to MNS



The Coming Lithium and Cobalt Supply Crunch?
A recent study indicates the availability of both lithium and cobalt could become seriously critical – a trend that would benefit small cap mining stocks like Azincourt Energy Corp (TSX-V: AAZ; OTCMKTS: AZURF) which is focused on minerals needed by the clean tech industry.
BY JIM ROBERTSON
Mar 19, 2018 7:04:31 AM PDT | No Comment(s) - Post a CommentRating
The lithium um and cobalt are key components for lithium-ion batteries that are not only critical for consumer electronics, but also for renewable energy and clean tech e.g. electric vehicles (EVs). A recent studyconducted by the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) indicates the availability of both elements could become seriously critical – a trend that would benefit small cap mining stocks like Azincourt Energy Corp (TSX-V: AAZ; OTCMKTS: AZURF)which is focused on minerals needed by the clean tech industry.
Scenario 2050: Lithium and Cobalt might not suffice

Under a scenario-based analysis until 2050 for various applications of batteries, the study found that a shortage and price increase for cobalt is likely to occur because demand for batteries might be twice as high as the today’s identified reserves. On the other hand, identified lithium reserves are expected to be much less strained; but production will need to increase - possibly more than ten times (depending on the scenario) to match future demand.
Another problem or risk mentioned in the study comes from the fact that both lithium and cobalt suffer from strong geographical concentration in politically less stable areas of the world - the “lithium triangle” in South America and for cobalt, the Copperbelt in Central Africa:

Daniel Buchholz of HIU commented: “It is therefore indispensable to expand the research activities towards alternative battery technologies in order to decrease these risks and reduce the pressure on cobalt and lithium reserves.”
HIU system analyst Dr. Marcel Weil also added: “The future availability of cobalt for the mass production of LIBs has to be classified as very critical, which is also evident from the price increase of cobalt higher than 120% within one year (2016-2017).”
The researchers concluded that cobalt-free battery technologies (including post-lithium technologies based on non-critical elements such as sodium, magnesium, zinc, calcium and aluminium) represent possible ways to decrease the dependency on lithium and cobalt over the long term. Of course, that’s easier said than done.