Posted by AGORACOM
at 1:25 PM on Friday, June 12th, 2020
SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomiko has an option for 100% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property, Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information
These trials will help steer business investment decisions in future years
The benefits from trials so far include:
Health and safety improvements for employees underground: EVs are much quieter than diesel vehicles and produce less heat and zero exhaust emissions. “From an operator comfort perspective, EVs are certainly an improvement,â€
Cost savings: EVs can reduce underground ventilation demands and the associated operating and capital expenditure
Environmental benefits: EVs contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
By the end of 2020, Vale hopes to have upward of 20 battery-powered vehicles operating within its North Atlantic operations, according to Alex Mulloy, Mining Engineer within Vale’s Base Metals Technology and Innovation division.
The plan is for the electric vehicles (EVs) to be operating on a trial basis at its Creighton, Coleman, Copper Cliff, Garson and Thompson mines by the end of the year, with the company having already made significant headway on achieving this goal.
Mulloy said the green vehicles are going to be evaluated with feedback from operations, as well as operating data, to help Vale understand how they perform in terms of reliability, functionality and the benefits they can offer our people and the business.
The benefits from trials so far include:
Health and safety improvements for our employees underground: EVs are much quieter than diesel vehicles and produce less heat and zero exhaust emissions. “From an operator comfort perspective, EVs are certainly an improvement,†Mulloy said;
Cost savings: EVs can reduce underground ventilation demands and the associated operating and capital expenditure; and
Environmental benefits: EVs contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
“EVs certainly complement the efforts of the business in terms of greenhouse gas and carbon reduction,†Mulloy said. “It’s a great technology. Not only does it enable operational benefit and improvement, it also contributes to our greater goals of reducing our emissions and the impact on the environment.â€
Natalie Kari, Principal Engineer, Strategic Electric Vehicle Implementation, said: “Exhaust emissions from diesel engines are one of the larger contributors to environmental pollution. EVs are an opportunity to increase safety by improving operating conditions and creating a safe work environment. Reducing noise, vibrations, heat, greenhouse gas emissions, and diesel particulate matter, while improving air quality, contributes to creating an attractive work environment for top talent.
“With increased challenging mine conditions at depth, EVs also provide an opportunity to sustain productivity by enabling mines to produce in areas that otherwise may not be feasible without these benefits, contributing towards mining for years to come.â€
These trials will help steer business investment decisions in future years, according to Mulloy.
“Over the coming months, a number of large prime mover vehicles will be delivered,†he said. “When those vehicles arrive, it will be an exciting step in the journey because most of the question marks around the performance of EVs relate to the large vehicles, so that’ll be a chance for us to really put this technology to the test.â€
Kari added: “Our company’s next major steps include collaborating with internal and external industry stakeholders towards safe implementation, comprehensive trial data collection and validation of a robust model towards a final approved five-year implementation strategy. With any new technology, investment in our people will be a priority to ensure they are equipped with the tools necessary for successful operation and maintenance.
“It is thrilling to be a part of leading this effort in a time of increased innovation and environmental awareness,†she continued. “The movement from traditional diesel to electric vehicle brings a feeling of social pride in creating a healthier workplace.â€
Posted by AGORACOM
at 1:30 PM on Friday, May 29th, 2020
SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomiko has an option for 100% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property, Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information
When an electric vehicle (EV) comes off the road, what happens to the vehicle battery? The fate of the lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles is an important question for manufacturers, policy makers, and EV owners alike. Today, EVs are a still a small piece of the automotive market. Many of the batteries coming off the road are being used to evaluate a range of options for reuse and recycling. Before batteries are recycled to recover critical energy materials, reusing batteries in secondary applications is a promising strategy.
The economic potential for battery reuse, or second-life, could help to further decrease the upfront costs of EV batteries and increase the value of a used EV. Given the growing market for EVs, second-life batteries could also represent a market of low-cost storage for utilities and electricity consumers. But in order to enable widespread reuse of EV batteries, policy will play an important role in reducing barriers and ensuring responsible, equitable, and sustainable practices.
Today, I’ll be providing testimony to the California Lithium Battery Recycling Advisory Group regarding the reuse of EV batteries; the advisory group’s goal is to make recommendations to ensure 100% of EV batteries sold in California are reused or recycled. In this blog, I describe current industry landscape and explain the potential use cases for second-life EV batteries. This blog summarizes a brief white paper I helped developed with researchers from the University of California Davis for the group.
The market for second-life batteries
As the market for electric vehicles grows, so too will the supply of second-life batteries. Forecasts from academic studies and industry reports estimate a range of 112-275 GWh per year of second-life batteries becoming available by 2030 globally. For context, this is over 200 times total energy storage installed in the US in 2018 (~780 MWh).
California is the largest market for EVs in the US and by 2027, an estimated 45,000 EV batteries will be retired from the state. Assuming a conservative capacity for each of these batteries (25 kWh), this amounts to over 1 GWh/year of available storage in the Golden State.
Why EV batteries could be reused
After 8 to 12 years in a vehicle, the lithium batteries used in EVs are likely to retain more than two thirds of their usable energy storage. Depending on their condition, used EV batteries could deliver an additional 5-8 years of service in a secondary application.
The ability of a battery to retain and rapidly discharge electricity degrades with use and the passing of time. How many times a battery can deliver its stored energy at a specific rate is a function of degradation. Repeated utilization of the maximum storage potential of the battery, rapid charge and discharge cycles, and exposure to high temperatures are all likely to reduce battery performance. I break down battery degradation more in a previous blog post.
Given the light-duty cycles experienced by EV batteries, some battery modules with minimal degradation and absent defects or damage could likely be refurbished and reused directly as a replacement for the same model vehicle. Major automakers, including Nissan and Tesla, have offered rebuilt or refurbished battery packs for purchase or warranty replacement of original battery packs in EVs.
The value of used energy storage
The economics of second-life battery storage also depend on the cost of the repurposed system competing with new battery storage. To be used as stationary storage, used batteries must undergo several processes that are currently costly and time-intensive. Each pack must be tested to determine the remaining state of health of battery, as it will vary for each retired system depending on factors that range from climate to individual driving behavior. The batteries must then be fully discharged, reconfigured to meet the energy demands of their new application; in many cases, packs are disassembled before modules are tested, equipped with a new battery management system (BMS), and re-packaged.
Depending on the ownership model and the upfront cost of a second-life battery, estimates of the total cost of a second-life battery range from $40-160/kWh. This compares with new EV battery pack costs of $157/kWh at the end of 2019. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has also created a publicly available battery second-use repurposing calculator that accounts for factors such as labor costs, warranty, and initial battery size and cost. The figure below illustrates the potential cost structure of a repurposed battery in a second-life application where the buying price is the maximum value paid for the used battery. If this value could be passed through to the original owner, it could help to defray the cost of an electric vehicle.
Comparing new and repurposed EV battery pack costs
Based on the NREL’s Battery Second-Use Repurposing Cost Calculator; assumes a throughput of 10,000 tons of spent batteries per year (~1 GWh/year), and net repurposing and testing costs of $22/kWh.
Most applications of distributed energy storage have considerable downtime where batteries are not being cycled. Therefore, second-life batteries offer the greatest economic benefit when battery systems provide multiple services at the same time. Bundling services together to improve the economics of energy storage is referred to as value stacking.
For example, a consumer customer might install so-called behind-the-meter storage primarily to reduce electricity costs by avoiding demand charges (i.e. additional electricity costs related to high loads). The customer might also value resilience in a power outage. Both behind and in front of the meter, distributed storage can provide a range of services for electric utilities including reducing the need to build new power plants or leveling out large changes in electricity supply or demand. A key challenge for battery storage (new or used) in a commercial market is how to capture each of these value streams.
A major barrier will be developing fair compensation for the enhanced ability of batteries to perform certain services within these storage markets. On top of this, the value of the service provided by these batteries must be thoroughly quantified to reduce uncertainty.
Customer energy management
There are a variety of options ‘behind the meter’ for customers to deploy energy storage to reduce energy costs and improve system resilience.
Time of use rate (TOU) rate structures encourage customers to shift their energy use to off-peak hours by charging higher rates for usage during peak hours. Capacity bidding into demand response is another mechanism to reward commercial customers for reducing load for a short duration. The implementation of storage in these cases is to charge when electricity is cheaper, then discharge during peak hours when it is advantageous to reduce customer load (this is known as “peak shavingâ€).
As TOU rates trend towards evening hours, utilizing second-life batteries in behind-the-meter load shifting applications provides an environmental benefit as well, since they charge from cleaner electricity during the day then displace demand for energy that would otherwise be supplied by natural gas peaker plants.
Battery storage can also be used to directly balance the intermittency of wind and solar generation. Storage enables customers to take advantage of times when onsite generation exceeds demand; energy can be stored, then discharged to fill in the “lull†periods. On-site storage could also provide a greater value than net-metering for some types of private systems.
Utility scale services
There are a number of services that distributed energy storage an provide for electric utilities. As mentioned previously, a key barrier for second-life EV batteries and distributed energy storage more broadly is the ability to capture these different value streams. There are four general types of grid services storage can provide:
Frequency regulation – Broadly characterizes the need for the grid to maintain the balance between generation and load (demand)
Transmission and distribution – Upgrading this infrastructure is costly and storage could help to alleviate congestion
Spinning Reserves – Reserve generation for an unexpected event, usually available at short notice
Energy arbitrage – Storing excess energy generation during the day and providing resource adequacy when demand outpaces generation.
Existing behind the meter pilot projects
Several pilot projects exist for second-life LIBs used in customer energy management strategies, ranging from small to large-scale customers (Table). For example, Nissan’s European headquarters in Paris, France features a 192kWh/144kW system composed of 12 second-life Nissan Leaf batteries. The system allows the headquarters to manage demand and take advantage of TOU electricity rates.
The Robert Mondavi Institute at UC Davis is another example of a behind-the-meter system that is paired with solar PV. In a project sponsored by the California Energy Commission (CEC), a 300-kWh system comprised of 18 repurposed Nissan leaf battery packs was assembled inside a shipping container.
On the larger end of customer demand, a cooperative effort between Nissan, Eaton, BAM and The Mobility House has led to the installation of a hybrid first-life/second-life system at the Johan Cruijff Arena, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This system, comprised of 148 Nissan Leaf batteries, has a 3 MW power capacity and a 2.8 MWh electricity storage capacity. The battery system helps to decrease energy costs and provides up to one hour of back-up power to the arena. In 2016, a 13 MWh system was commissioned in Lunen, Germany based on 1,000 BMW i3 packs, approximately 90% of which are second-life batteries.
Developing policy to enable battery reuse
Although there are no uniform global or regional policies governing the reuse and recycling of EV batteries, there has been an increase in attention paid to the issues of end of life (EOL) management in recent years.
One key challenge for EOL management is sharing of critical data like battery manufacturer, cathode material, battery condition, and usage history down the value chain to the potential secondary market or recycler. The Global Battery Alliance (GBA) was founded in 2017 as a collaboration of 70 public and private organizations with the goal of establishing a sustainable battery value chain including repurposing and recycling. The GBA ‘Battery Passport’ aims to improve the sharing of data along the value chain by standardizing labelling and creating a database of battery information. Sharing of battery data could decrease the costs of battery repurposing and increase the value proposition of battery reuse.
Another key challenge for battery reuse is logistics. Used batteries, once removed from a vehicle, are considered hazardous waste and are therefore governed by restrictions on the transportation of hazardous wastes. The costs and challenges in transporting and aggregating used batteries are also a barrier to widespread reuse.
The waste hierarchy is a useful framework for considering the fate of used EV batteries: reduce first, followed by reuse, recycling, energy recovery, and finally treatment and disposal. EVs already deliver significant environmental benefits compared to conventional gasoline vehicles; encouraging battery reuse and ensuring proper recycling are important strategies for further increasing the sustainability of EVs.
Existing second-life pilot projects
Lead Entity
Location
Year(s)
Capacity
United Technologies Research Centre Ireland, Ltd.
Paris, France
2017-
88 kWh (Kangoo packs number unspecified)
Gateshead College, United Technologies Research Centre Ireland, Ltd.
Sunderland, United Kingdom
2017-
48 kWh (3 Leaf packs, 50 kW PV capacity)
Nissan
Paris, France
2017-
192 kWh (12 Leaf packs)
RWTH Aachen University
Aachen, Germany
2017-
96 kWh (6 Kangoo packs)
City of Kempten, the Allgäuer Überlandwerk GmbH
Kempten, Germany
2017-
95 kWh ( 6 Kangoo packs, 37.1 kW PV capacity)
City of Terni, ASM Terni
Terni, Italy
2017-
66 kWh (Kangoo packs number unspecifed, 200 kW PV capacity)
Daimler, Getec Energie, The Mobility House, Remondis
Lunen, Germany
2016-
12 MW, 13 MWh (1000 i3 packs, 90% 2nd life)
Nissan, Eaton, BAM, The Mobility House
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2019-
3 MW, 2.8 MWh (148 Leaf packs, 42% 2nd life)
Daimler, The Mobility House, GETEC ENERGIE, Mercedes-Benz Energy
Posted by AGORACOM
at 8:39 AM on Friday, May 29th, 2020
Gratomic Inc. is an advanced, vertically integrated Licenced Mining and Exploration Company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite and graphite products for a range of mass-market applications. The Company currently holds two off-take agreements, one with TodaQ and one with Phu Sumika. The first purchase order is anticipated to be filled in the fall of 2020 with high-purity vein graphite extracted from the Company’s Aukam Graphite Mine in Namibia. CliChina Graphite flake-195 spot prices were slightly higher in May. For More Info Click Here
Graphite market news – Graphite supply needs to increase nearly 500 percent by 2050.
Graphite company news – Bass Metals identified mineralization of at least 4.5km in strike. Magnis
Energy NY Battery Plant funding is close to closing. Nouveau Monde receives $5.2m funding.
Welcome to the May edition of the graphite miners news. May saw graphite prices rise slightly and not a lot of news.
Our cells should be called Nickel-Graphite, because primarily the cathode is nickel and the anode side is graphite with silicon oxide.
Graphite price news
During May China graphite flake-195 EXW spot prices were up 0.71%, and are up 10.26% over the past year. Note that 94-97% is considered best suited for use in batteries; it is then upgraded to 99.9% purity to make “spherical” graphite used in Li-ion batteries.
Graphite price chart – Large flake graphite price is ~USD 830/t
In my January 30, 2018 Trend Investing Interview with Benchmark Minerals Simon Moores said about graphite:
Spherical graphite anode plants, predominately based in China, were traditionally 5-10,000 tpa but now we are tacking four megafactories are looking to produce 60,000 to 100,000 tpa from 2020 onwards.
The impact of the proposed megafactories on raw material demand (graphite in red)
LG Chem bets big on carbon nanotubes. LG Chem will invest 65 billion won ($53 million) by the first quarter of 2021 to expand production of carbon nanotubes, which are known to be among the strongest, lightest and most conductive fibers, at its plant in Korea. With the investment, the company said it will expand the annual production capacity to 1,700 tons from the current 500 tons. “By using carbon nanotubes as anode-conductive additives, we will be able to reduce the use of conductive materials by about 30 percent and increase the capacity of lithium-ion batteries,” the company said.
Graphite supply needs to increase nearly 500 percent by 2050. The energy revolution and the push for lower carbon emissions are unstoppable trends that will continue to unfold in the coming decades. Demand for energy storage is expected to be so high that production of key battery metals such as graphite will need to ramp up to unprecedented levels. According to a new World Bank report, just to meet the increasing demand from this segment, graphite output will need to jump by nearly 500 percent by 2050.
Fine flake prices fall while market for larger sizes tightens. Prices in the +194 market and parts of the +894 market have risen, with consumers that need to secure material being prepared to accept higher offers.
Graphite miner news
Graphite producers
I have not covered the following graphite producers as they are not typically accessible to most Western investors. They include – Aoyu Graphite Group, BTR New Energy Materials, Qingdao Black Dragon, National de Grafite, Shanshan Technology, and LuiMao Graphite.
Note: Imerys Graphite and Carbon (OTC:IMYSF) and AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group NV [NA:AMG] [GR:ADG] (OTCPK:AMVMF) are also “diversified producers”, producing graphite. SGL Carbon (OTCPK:SGLFF) [ETR:SGL] is a synthetic graphite producer.
Battery Anode Material Project [USA] – Restart of Operations. Syrah Resources Limited is pleased to announce restart of operations at the Battery Anode Material (“BAM”) plant in Vidalia (Louisiana, USA)……Currently 100% of all anode precursor material into the lithium ion battery supply chain is manufactured in China. Ex-China AAM producers in Korea and Japan are therefore wholly reliant on China for supply of natural graphite anode precursor material. This in-turn means ex-China battery cell manufacturers in Japan, Korea, the USA and Europe are therefore reliant on China for their anode supply chains. Syrah aims to provide an alternate and complementary supply of anode material to existing China supply to meet growing demand…..Production of qualification samples of AAM is planned during H2 2020.
On May 18 Bass Metals announced: “exploration update”.
Highlights:
“Bass recently completed an initial surface exploration program which identified mineralization of at least 4.5km in strike between the Mahela and Loharano large flake graphite deposits (the “Mineralized Trend”)(ASX announcement 29th April 2020) and identified several high priority targets……
14 of the 15 holes drilled to date have recorded regolith hosted, large flake graphite mineralization present.
The Project is a near-mine mineralization zone located a short 2km haul to well-established large flake graphite mining and processing infrastructure (Graphmada).
The Company plans for the results of this drilling, and follow up diamond drilling, to support materially expanding Graphmada’s Mineral Resource.”
Ceylon Graphite has ‘Vein graphite’ production out of one mine in Sri Lanka with 121 square kilometers of tenements.
No news for the month.
Mineral Commodities Ltd. (“MRC”) [ASX:MRC]
Skaland Graphite is 90% owned by MRC. Skaland is the highest grade flake graphite operation in the world and largest producing mine in Europe; with immediate European graphite production of up to 10,000 tonnes per annum with regulatory approval to increase to 16,000. MRC owns 90%.
On April 30, Mineral Commodities Ltd. announced: “Quarterly activities report-March 2020.” Highlights include:
“Tormin – Key environmental approval received at Tormin for expanded mining rights and downstream processing.
Tormin – Prospecting Rights for Northern Beaches and Inland Strand granted and registered.
Tormin – Resource drilling underway with up to 62% THM intersected at Inland Strandline along with new Eastern Strandline discovery.
Skaland Graphite – Maiden JORC resource of Indicated and Inferred 1.78 million tonnes at 22% TGC announced.
Munglinup DFS completed, demonstrating robust outcomes that enable MRC to move to 90% ownership: Post-tax – Net Present Value (“NPV7”) US$111M [AU$160M]. Post-tax project – IRR 30%. Capex – US$61M (AU$88M). Opex – US$491/tonne [FOB] (AU$720/tonne).
Munglinup/Skaland downstream purification testwork progressing well with results due for release in Q2 2020.
NPBT 2019 full year results – Revenue of US$61.8M up 12%, EBITDA US$16.5M up 12%, NPBT US$11.9M up 14% and NPAT US$7.8M down 11%.”
Tormin Northern Beach delivers high grade maiden resource…High-grade resource of 2.5 Million tonnes at 23.5% Total Heavy Minerals (“THM”).
Graphite developers
Magnis Energy Technologies Ltd. [ASX:MNS] (OTC:URNXF) (formerly Magnis Resources)
Magnis is an Australian based company that has rapidly moved into battery technology and is planning to become one of the world’s largest manufacturers of lithium-ion battery cells. Magnis has a world class graphite deposit in Tanzania known as the Nachu Graphite Project.
On May 15, Magnis Energy Technologies Ltd. announced: “NY Battery Plant – major milestones completed.” Highlights include:
“Detailed engineering and facility pre-work completed on the New York Battery Plant.
Reports commissioned at the request of three prospective investors have been finalised for their due diligence process.
Potential financiers have provided Non-Binding term sheets and a LOI, but COVID-19 pandemic is delaying funding closure.
Sale of a portion of the nickel foam purchased as part of the plant acquisition, nets iM3NY over AUD$500,000.”
On May 21, Magnis Energy Technologies Ltd. announced: “Evaluation of Nachu Graphite by major prospective customers.” Highlights include:
“Samples of Nachu high purity graphite provided to South Korean and Japanese LIB battery anode suppliers.
Ongoing metallurgical work to optimise production of uncoated spherical graphite at >99.95% TGC purity using low cost mechanical process.
Two-step process with Flake graphite concentrate produced initially at 99.8%TGC purity with subsequent spheronisation achieving >99.95% TGC purity.”
The Black Crystal Project is located in the Slocan Valley area of British Columbia, Canada, 35km West of the city of Nelson, and 70km North of the border to the USA. The quarry and plant areas are the project’s two main centers of activity.
No news for the month.
Battery Minerals [ASX:BAT] [GR:0FS]
Battery Minerals core commodity targets are graphite, zinc/lead and copper. BAT is maintaining a focus on its two graphite development assets Montepuez and Balama which are located in Mozambique.
No news for the month.
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
Triton Minerals [ASX:TON][GR:1TG]
Triton Minerals Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration and development of areas that are highly prospective for gold, graphite and other minerals. The company was founded on March 28, 2006 and is headquartered in West Perth, Australia. Triton has three large graphite projects in Mozambique, not far from Syrah Resources Balama project.
No significant news for the month.
You can view the latest investor presentation here and an excellent video here.
NextSource Materials Inc. [TSX:NEXT] [GR:1JW] (OTCQB:NSRCF)
NextSource Materials Inc. is a mine development company based in Toronto, Canada, that’s developing its 100%-owned, Feasibility-Stage Molo Graphite Project in Madagascar. The Company also has the Green Giant Vanadium Project on the same property.
No news for the month.
Investors can view the latest company presentation here. You can watch the company’s Senior Vice President Brent Nykoliation video interview here.
Northern’s principal asset is the Bissett Creek graphite project located 100km east of North Bay, Ontario, Canada and close to major roads and infrastructure. The Company has completed an NI 43-101 Bankable final Feasibility Study and received its major environmental permit.
No news for the month.
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
Talga Resources Ltd. is a technology minerals company enabling stronger, lighter and more functional materials for the multi-billion dollar global coatings, battery, construction and carbon composites markets using graphene and graphite. Talga 100% owned graphite deposits are in Sweden, proprietary process test facility is in Germany.
On April 30, Talga Resources announced: “Quarterly activities review for the period ending 31 March 2020.” Highlights include:
Commercial & Product Development
“MOU agreement signed with Mitsui for joint project development.
Successful 60 tonne pilot graphite concentrate program supports anode market development.
Talga in Bentley Motors electric drive project (subsequent to the period).
“Environmental approval received for Vittangi Stage 1 Mining Operation, Sweden.”
Corporate & Investor Relations
“COVID-19 operational update and cost reduction measures.
Cash balance of A$6.6 million as at 31 March 2020.”
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
SRG Mining Inc. [TSXV:SRG] [GR:18Y] [Formerly SRG Graphite Inc.]
SRG is focused on developing the Lola graphite deposit, which is located in the Republic of Guinea, West Africa. The Lola Graphite occurrence has a prospective surface outline of 3.22 km2 of continuous graphitic gneiss, one of the largest graphitic surface areas in the world. SRG owns 100% of the Lola Graphite Project.
On May 8, SRG Mining Inc. announced: “SRG Mining Inc. announces grant of Stock Options.”
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
Leading Edge Materials Corp. is a Canadian company focused on becoming a sustainable supplier of a range of critical materials. Leading Edge Materials’ flagship asset is the Woxna Graphite production facility in central Sweden. The company also owns the Bergby lithium project, the Norra Karr REE project, and the Kontio cobalt project all located in Scandinavia.
No significant news for the month.
Investors can view the latest company presentation here.
Nouveau Monde Graphite own the Matawinie graphite project, located in the municipality of Saint-Michel-des-Saints, approximately 150 km north of Montreal, Canada.
On April 29, Nouveau Monde Graphite announced: “Nouveau Monde receives over $5.2m in financial support.” Highlights include:
5% increase to Sustainable Development Technology Canada’s $4,250,000 initial grant representing an additional $212,500.”
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
Volt Resources [ASX:VRC] [GR:R8L]
Volt Resources Ltd. is a graphite exploration company. The Company is focused on the exploration and development of its existing wholly owned Bunyu Graphite Project in Tanzania and the identification of further assets globally which have the potential to add value to shareholders.
No news for the month.
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
Renascor Resources [ASX:RNU]
Renascor Resources Ltd. is an Australian exploration company, which focuses on the discovery and development of economically viable deposits containing uranium, gold, copper, and associated minerals. Its projects include graphite, copper, precious metals, and uranium.
On April 30, Renascor Resources announced: “Quarterly report 31 March 2020.” Highlights include:
“Renascor’s development of its 100%-owned Siviour Graphite Project continues, with focus on battery-grade, Purified Spherical Graphite for use in lithium-ion batteries. Work undertaken during the recently completed quarter included. Discussions with potential offtake partners in Northeast Asia and Europe, which have revealed strong interest in Renascor’s plans to develop a Purified Spherical Graphite Advanced Manufacturing operation within Australia. An advanced study on a vertically integrated Purified Spherical Graphite operation. Additional production trials to produce qualifying Purified Spherical Graphite samples from Siviour graphite concentrates. Continued mineral processing tests aimed at optimising production parameters for producing graphite concentrates and Purified Spherical Graphite.
Letter of Support received for the provision of finance from Export Finance Australia, the official Export Credit Agency of the Australian Government.
Renascor has taken steps to manage the impact of COVID-19, with work programs being designed to ensure that they can continue with minor disruptions due to travel restrictions and shipping delays.
Cash position of approximately $2.1m as of 31 March 2020, which does not include a further $137,000 in placement proceeds due from Renascor Directors following Shareholder approval at 11 March 2020 Shareholder meeting.”
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
EcoGraf Limited [ASX:EGR]
On April 30, EcoGraf Limited announced: “March 2020 quarterly report. Australian Government Agency provides in-principle debt funding support for Kwinana battery recycling provides new global market opportunity.” Highlights include:
“Kwinana battery graphite manufacturing facility advances towards development. In-Principle debt funding support received from Export Finance Australia. Commercial and technical due diligence for debt and equity funding processes underway with prospective financiers. Sales and offtake arrangements under discussion with major battery and industrial groups in Asia and Europe. Feedstock supply agreement signed with leading German group TECHNOGRAFIT GmbH. Successful completion of feedstock optimisation program.
Epanko debt financing. US$60 million debt financing proposal submitted to the Government of Tanzania for the construction of the new Epanko Graphite Mine.
Successful EV battery recycling trial achieving. 99% carbon. Recycling results provide new opportunity for EcoGraf™ purification technology as market demand shifts to zero waste batteries and closed-loop manufacturing.
Investment continues in Europe to transition towards renewable energy for electric vehicles, supporting the shift to new responsibly produced raw material supplies.
Board and management implement cost reduction measures to preserve shareholder value in reaction to COVID-19 virus.
Company progressing several alternatives to provide additional funding for Kwinana and Epanko pre-development programs.”
High purity fines qualified with European customers. An additional Commercial advantage for Kwinana Facility. EcoGraf Limited is pleased to announce that it has received confirmation that the Company’s high purity graphite which is produced from low value graphite by-product fines utilising the EcoGraf. Process has been qualified by two leading European industrial customers as meeting their strict physical and chemical specifications. In the production of battery [spherical] graphite for the lithium-ion battery market up to 50% of the initial graphite feedstock reports as fines. The ability to further process this low value by-product and sell as a high value product adds significant further value to the processing economics for production of battery [spherical] graphite using the EcoGraf proprietary non-hydrofluoric purification process.
On May 21, EcoGraf Limited announced: “EcoGraf successfully completes share placement. Funds to be applied towards development of New Australian battery graphite business.” Highlights include:
“Share Placement oversubscribed, raising $1.6 million at 6.5 cents per share.
Strong support from existing shareholders and encouraging participation by new institutional investors.
Funds to be applied towards: Development of a state-of-the-art EcoGraf™ battery graphite facility in Kwinana, Western Australia, including: Finalising offtake arrangements with priority customers in Europe and Asia. Preparation of marketing and technical reports to support Government funding processes. Securing lender approvals for the proposed US$35 million debt financing. Pre-development technical programs and submission of Government development approvals. Completion of engineering, procurement, construction and operations planning arrangements. Securing Government approvals for the Epanko US$60 million debt financing proposal developed with KfW IPEX-Bank.
Opportunity for eligible existing shareholders to participate via a Share Purchase Plan at 6.5 cents per share to raise up to an additional $500,000.”
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. [TSXV:ZEN] (OTCPK:ZENYF) (formerly Zenyatta Ventures)
ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. is a mineral development company based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. ZEN Graphene is currently developing the Albany Graphite Deposit (“Albany”), as well as developing graphene and graphene applications.
No significant news for the month.
Sovereign Metals [ASX:SVM] [GR:SVM]
Sovereign Metals Ltd. is an exploration company, which engages in the explorations of graphite, copper and gold resources. It operates through the Queensland, Australia and Malawi geographical segments. Sovereign Metals has world’s biggest graphite saprolith resource of 65m tonnes at 7.1% TGC at their Maligunde project in Malawi.
No significant news for the month.
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
New Energy Metals Corp. (OTCPK:NEMCF) [ASX:NXE] (formerly Mustang Resources)
New Energy Minerals are pioneering Vanadium and Graphite mining, exploration, and technology. With the unique Caula Project in Mozambique nearing production, they are set to supply the high quality resources critical to the rapidly expanding new energy market.
No news for the month.
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
Westwater Resources Inc. is developing an advanced battery graphite business in Alabama, holds dominant mineral rights positions in the Western United States and the Republic of Turkey for both lithium and uranium deposits, as well as licensed production facilities for uranium in Texas.
Westwater Resources prevails in key decision in the international arbitration against Turkey. Westwater Resources, Inc., an energy materials development company, announced that the tribunal appointed by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes [ICSID] has issued a procedural order that denies a request made by the Republic of Turkey to bifurcate the arbitration proceeding. As a result, a hearing on the merits is now scheduled for September 2021.
On May 14, Westwater Resources Inc. announced: “Westwater Resources reports first quarter 2020 results & Energy Materials business update.” Highlights include:
Battery Graphite Business Update:
“Our battery graphite business continues on track toward operation of a pilot plant, which we anticipate will make battery graphite in bulk quantities in the fourth quarter of 2020……
You can view the latest investor presentation here.
Other graphite juniors
Berkwood Resources [TSXV:BKR] [GR:BR2N] (OTC:CZSVF), BlackEarth Minerals [ASX:BEM], Black Rock Mining [ASX:BKT], DNI Metals [CSE:DNI] (OTCPK:DMNKF), Eagle Graphite [TSXV:EGA] [GR:NJGP] (OTC:APMFF), Elcora Advanced Materials Corp. [TSXV:ERA](OTCPK:ECORF), First Graphene [ASX:FGR] (OTC:FGPHF), Focus Graphite [TSXV:FMS][GR:FKC] (OTCQB:FCSMF), Graphite One Resources Inc. [TSXV:GPH] [GR:2JC] (OTCQB:GPHOF), Gratomic Inc. (TSXV:GRAT), Graphite Energy Corp. [CSE:GRE] [GR:GOA] (OTCPK:GRXXF), Lomiko Metals Inc. [TSXV:LMR] (OTCQB:LMRMF), NovoCarbon Corp. (formerly Great Lakes Graphite [TSXV:GLK] [GR:8GL] (OTC:GLKIF)), Walkabout Resources Ltd. [ASX:WKT].
Conclusion
May saw graphite prices rise slightly.
Highlights for the month were:
Fine flake prices fall while market for larger sizes tightens.
LG Chem bets big on carbon nanotubes.
Graphite supply needs to increase nearly 500 percent by 2050.
Bass Metals identified mineralization of at least 4.5km in strike between the Mahela and Loharano large flake graphite deposits, 2kms from their Graphmada mine.
Magnis Energy NY Battery Plant funding is close to closing.
Nouveau Monde receives over $5.2m in financial support.
EcoGraf Kwinana battery graphite manufacturing facility advances towards development.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 8:41 AM on Tuesday, May 26th, 2020
SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomiko has an option for 100% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property, Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information
The UK needs to manufacture 130GWh of electric car batteries a year if it is to maintain its position as the fourth largest car maker in Europe.
A potentially landmark agreement to explore the construction of an electric car “gigafactory†has been signed between two UK startups, AMTE Power and Britishvolt.
The growth of the electric car industry in the UK as car makers wind down petrol and diesel car production has sparked a warning from the UK government-backed Faraday Institution that without more investment in the local battery manufacturing industry, a major opportunity in the form of more than 100,000 jobs could be missed.
Currently, the UK electric car battery industry is led by a battery factory alongside Nissan’s car factory in Sunderland with an annual 2GWh capacity.
A joint venture announced in 2018 between Williams Advanced Engineering and Unipart Manufacturing Group outlined a plan to build another battery making facility in Coventry to build 10,000 battery packs a year, and Unipart has also been chosen as a key player in Jaguar Land Rover’s battery assembly plant.
But these are small fry, in light of the recently released Faraday report which suggests the UK needs to manufacture some 130GWh of electric car batteries a year if it is to maintain its position as the fourth largest car maker in Europe.
If successful, the new memorandum of understanding between AMTE Power and Britishvolt would see as much as £4 billion invested in a new “gigafactory†with a potential 35GWh capacity, enough to rival the likes of Northvolt which has plans to output 32GWH a year at its Swedish battery factory in Skellefteå by 2024, and 24GWH from its German factory in Salzgitter.
While its still a far cry from plans of true electric car battery giants such as the proposed 60GWh that China’s CATL intends to output at its German factoryin Erfurt, or LG Chem’s planned 70GWh in Wroclaw, Poland, AMTE Power and Britishvolt’s vision is big.
“We are delighted to be working with Britishvolt exploring the creation of a large scale manufacturing facility in the UK,†said Kevin Brundish, CEO at AMTE Power in a statement of the proposed battery factory, which it is diplomatically referring to as a “GigaPlantâ€.
“The recent global crisis has further highlighted the importance of having a robust onshore supply chain, and the creation of a GigaPlant would place the UK in a strong position to service automotive and energy storage markets.
“The scalable production of lithium ion cells is key to electrifying vehicles and would drive new manufacturing revenues and new employment, and can be built on AMTE’s focus on the supply of specialised cells, thereby continuing the country’s tradition of excellence in battery cell innovation.â€
For the relatively young Britishvolt, the chance to align with Scottish AMTE Power, which began life as AGM Batteries Limited, a joint vcenture between Mitsubishi Materials and AEA Technology, GS (GS Yuasa), is a potential coup.
“Aligning our objectives with AMTE Power, who are looking to add to their current manufacturing capabilities in the UK, our ambition is to build a 30+ gigawatt hour factory with the support of the British Government, creating up to 4,000 jobs in the proces,†said Lars Carlstrom, Britishvolt CEO, in a statement.
“Meeting Road to Zero targets and moving the UK into a low carbon economy will necessitate the unprecedented electrification of vehicles, and reliance on renewable energy will require extensive battery storage.
“It is costly and carbon-intensive to have lithium ion batteries imported from the Far East, and this GigaPlant would cement a solid onshore supply chain to ensure quality and eliminate future uncertainty of supply.â€
But it will take work. According to The Guardian, AMTE Power is initially looking to expand its operations which currently include a small battery plant near Thurso, Scotland to include a 1GWh plant either in Dundee oe Teesside, while Britishvolt is considering five sites for a 10GWh capacity plant to be followed by a further 20GWh depending on funding.
Ian Constance, CEO of APC, who introduced the two companies thinks that changes in UK consumer perception of electric vehicles as well as technological advances in battery innovation mean the market landscape is ripe.
“The UK is a highly credible location for green growth investment,†Constance said in a statement.
“It has a rich and diverse supply chain, a rapidly decarbonising energy supply and an innovation culture, and government support through a strong industrial strategy.
“As the pace and scale of change accelerates towards new net zero targets the UK is in a prime position to design, develop, manufacture and export high-value battery technologies. It is a positive testament that AMTE power and Britishvolt recognise the full potential of the UK and have identified it as a priority for their battery industrialisation explorations.â€
Posted by AGORACOM
at 8:20 PM on Friday, May 22nd, 2020
SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomiko has an option for 100% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property, Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information
While speaking at a recent online investor conference, GM executive vice president Doug Parks revealed the car manufacturer is working on next-generation batteries that will be even more advanced than the Ultium battery that it unveiled back in March.
Parks said that the car manufacturer is “almost there†with the new long-life battery and added that “multiple teams†at GM are working on advances including zero-cobalt electrodes, solid state electrolytes and ultra-fast charging, Reuters reports.
GM’s Ultium batteries are unique because the large-format, pouch-style cells can be stacked vertically or horizontally inside the battery pack, allowing engineers to optimize battery energy storage and layout for each vehicle design. Ultium energy options will range from 50 kWh to 200 kWh allowing for up to 400 miles (644 km) or more of range on each charge and vehicles that can sprint to 60 mph (96 km/h) in as little as 3 seconds.
Most future electric vehicles produced by GM with the Ultium batteries will have 400-volt battery packs and up to 200 kW fast-charging capabilities, while the brand’s truck platform will have 800-volt battery packs and 350 kW fast-charging capability.
While GM may be close to developing a million-mile battery, Tesla looks set to beat them to the punch. Thanks to a partnership with China’s CATL, the electric automaker’s million-mile battery could premiere in Chinese-built Model 3s later this year or early next year.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:27 AM on Thursday, May 21st, 2020
Gratomic has formulated a concrete plan to complete the final 10% of mine construction and begin commission by October of 2020.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 21, 2020 / Gratomic Inc. (“GRAT” or the “Company”) (TSXV:GRAT)(FRANKFURT:CB81)(WKN:A143MR) is pleased to announce an update on the purchase agreement between the Company and TODAQ where Gratomic’s Aukam mined graphite will be utilized as a backstop to underpin the value of deployed TODA Notes (“TDN“). TODA Notes are a payment and loyalty asset which are backstopped by a mixed basket of digital economy commodities, land and monetary assets with graphite among the first underlying commodities, which will be supplied by Gratomic Inc.
The Companies are pleased to announce that they are planning to extend delivery schedules against TODAQ’s current Purchase Orders for Aukam graphite, to be supplied by Gratomic Inc., and that they are continuing to work together to execute on the existing off-take agreement.
Co-Founder and CEO of TODAQ, Mr. Hassan Khan, states that “In spite of the upheaval in the markets this year, we’ve been pleased to see overall demand increase for digital assets backed by ‘digital economy’ commodities like graphite. We look forward to working alongside our partner Gratomic in moving this project forward to delivery.”
Gratomic is currently completing its financing, which is intended to bring the mine into commission.
The Company has formulated a concrete plan to complete the final 10% of mine construction and begin commission by October of 2020.
The Commissioning Phase will lead the company into full production capacity of 20,000 tonnes per annum.
“We are very pleased at the progress of our purchase agreement with TODAQ and the coming completion of our processing facility at Aukam. We anticipate a long and successful business relationship with our partners at TODAQ” ~ President and CEO, Arno Brand
The Company will deliver TODAQ’s Product to an onsite warehouse beginning in November 2020, to fill the first three purchase orders totalling 1800 tonnes. Concurrent with the first delivery, both companies will be working together to implement an interoperable, transparent supply chain tracking solution powered by TODA for graphite along its entire lifecycle. The end goal is to provide the manufacturing, commodity trading or securitization markets a graphite digital asset that is fractionable, self-recording and self-validating with respect to its authenticity and provenance, and can be transacted peer to peer.
Gratomic wishes to emphasize that the supply of graphite pursuant to any off-take or supply agreement referred to in this Press Release is conditional on Gratomic being able to bring the Aukam project into a production phase, and for any graphite being produced to meet certain technical and mineralization requirements. Gratomic continues to move its business towards production and as part of its business plan, expects to obtain a National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects technical report to help it ascertain the economics of the Aukam project.
Presently the Company uses its existing pilot processing facility to produce certain amounts of graphite concentrate from accumulated surface graphite.
Risk Factors
No mineral resources, let alone mineral reserves demonstrating economic viability and technical feasibility, have been delineated on the Aukam Property. The Company is not in a position to demonstrate or disclose any capital and/or operating costs that may be associated with the processing plant.
The Company advises that it has not based its production decision on even the existence of mineral resources let alone on a feasibility study of mineral reserves, demonstrating economic and technical viability, and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit.
Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. There is no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved.
Failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company’s ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations. Failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company’s cash flow and future profitability.
About TODAQ
TODAQ is a technology company headquartered in Toronto, with offices throughout the globe, creating a new digitally-driven economic ecosystem that is intended to serve everyone. To date, the company has effectively partnered with enterprises, financial institutions, and governments as our primary customers. TODAQ has created a new Web 3.0 ‘Adot Browser Agent’ with integrated digital asset services. The browser agent provides seamless access to a level playing field for anyone to directly create, own, and trade unique digital assets.
TODAQ has developed two new Web 3.0 protocols: a decentralized digital asset ownership management protocol; and a new internet application protocol. The first protocol is the TODA protocol, a distributed data architecture that allows for the creation, ownership management, and settlement of unique digital assets. Second is the Adot protocol, an internet application protocol that can use the existing internet transport and network layer (TCP/IP) to ensure mass interoperability of digital asset ownership and trade; analogous to what HTTP has done for two-way communication.
TDN is a digital asset designed to offer a global, long-term and stable economic utility that is seamless, borderless and can be used for a truly broad variety of economic and market use cases.
About Gratomic Inc.
Gratomic is an advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products, most notably high value graphene-based components for a range of mass market products.
Gratomic holds a Joint Venture collaboration agreement with Perpetuus Carbon Technology, a leading European manufacturer of graphenes, to use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GRAT.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 3:46 PM on Tuesday, May 19th, 2020
Production of battery metals such as graphite, lithium and cobalt will need to ramp up in a big way
Production of so-called battery metals, such as graphite, lithium and cobalt, will have to increase by nearly 500% by 2050 to meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies, the World Bank said on Monday.
According to the global lender, over 3 billion tonnes of minerals and metals will be needed to deploy wind, solar and geothermal power, as well as energy storage required for transitioning to a low-carbon economy.
Many of the critical minerals used to make batteries for electric vehicles are found in developing nations. The World Bank’s goal is to help those nations to mine those commodities in a sustainable way to avert major ecological damage.
Mining the vast amount of key commodities the world will need in 30 years is seen as the only path to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. The accord seeks to limit global warming to 2°C or less.
Source: World Bank 2019.
Getting to that point, the World Bank said in a new report, will require global carbon emissions of greenhouse gases to be deeply reduced by 50% by 2030 and to net-zero by 2050.
The latest findings confirm the premise of a report published in 2017, which warned that the more ambitious the climate targets become, the more minerals and metals will be needed.
While renewables and energy storage technologies require more minerals, the carbon footprint of their production — from extraction to end-use — would account for only 6% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by fossil fuels, the study said.
The Minerals for Climate Action report also calls for more recycling and reuse of minerals, saying it will play a key role in meeting increasing mineral demand.
It also noted that, even if recycling rates for minerals like copper and aluminum are scaled up by 100%, recycling and reuse would still not be enough to meet the demand for renewable energy technologies and energy storage.
Virus ambush
Some minerals, like copper and molybdenum, will be used in a range of technologies, the report noted. Others, such as graphite and lithium, may be needed for just one technology: battery storage.
That means that any changes in clean energy technology deployments could have significant consequences on demand for certain minerals, it said.
The lender warned about the disruptions COVID-19 is causing and will continue to trigger in the global mining industry.
In addition, developing countries that rely on minerals are missing out on essential fiscal revenues.
As their economies start to reopen, the bank said, they will need to strengthen their commitment to climate-smart mining principles and mitigate any negative impacts.
“COVID-19 could represent an additional risk to sustainable mining, making the commitment of governments and companies to climate-smart practices more important than ever before,†said Riccardo Puliti, World Bank Global Director for Energy and Extractive Industries and Regional Director for Infrastructure in Africa.
“This new report builds on the World Bank’s long-standing expertise in supporting the clean energy transition and provides a data-driven tool for understanding how this shift will impact future mineral demand,†he said.
The World Bank’s predictions echo a February report by Moody’s, which indicated that green, social and sustainability bond issuance is expected to hit a combined record of US$400 billion in 2020 alone. That’s up 24% from the previous record of US$323 billion achieved in 2019.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 1:46 PM on Tuesday, May 19th, 2020
SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomik has an option for 100% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property, Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information
Experts say it would allow Tesla to sell electric vehicles for the same prices as gasoline-powered ones
A “million mile†battery that will lower the cost of EVs to the same as gasoline-powered ones?
Apparently Tesla and CEO Elon Musk are looking at exactly that for China later this year, according to a report in The Verge sourced from Reuters.
The battery is being co-developed with Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) and was designed in part by battery experts recruited by Tesla’s Musk, the report said.
Tesla is already the industry leader when it comes to squeezing range out of lithium-ion batteries in electric cars, and it’s expected to reveal more about the new technology at an upcoming “Battery Day†for investors.
Musk told investors and analysts earlier this year that the information “will blow your mind. It blows my mind.â€
The company originally planned to hold the event in April, but has had to reschedule it until at least late May thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, the report said.
The battery is expected to lower the cost per kilowatt hour (the unit of energy most commonly used to measure the capacity of the battery packs in modern electric vehicles) to under US$100.
Many experts believe that reaching that mark would allow Tesla or other automakers to sell electric vehicles for the same prices as gasoline-powered ones, thereby making them far more accessible, the report said.
That Tesla is reportedly planning to bring the technology to China first demonstrates the nation’s importance when it comes to electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, General Motors is also trying to hit that mark in its work with battery maker LG Chem, as it recently shared during its own big “EV Day†event in March, though the automaker is not expected to get there until the mid-2020s.
Musk has long sought to remove cobalt from the equation entirely, and Tesla is getting closer to doing that in its work with CATL, according to Reuters.
Information about Tesla’s next-generation batteries has steadily trickled out over the last year or so thanks to the experts Musk hired and their public works, like patents, academic papers, and university presentations. The group has been funded by Tesla since 2016, according to Reuters.
Tesla has also bought up a small handful of companies that are contributing to its battery advancements, like Maxwell Technologies, the report said.
And its former CTO, JB Straubel, is leading a battery recycling company called Redwood Materials that Reuters says is an “affiliate†of Tesla’s.
According to TechXplore, earlier this year, Musk told investors, “We’ve got to really make sure we get a very steep ramp in battery production and continue to improve the cost per kilowatt-hour of the batteries—this is very fundamental and extremely difficult. We’ve got to scale battery production to crazy levels that people cannot even fathom today.â€
At the end of 2019, battery prices were about $156/kWh; it’s widely thought $100/kWh is the number the auto industry needs to reach to make electric cars’ cost on par with gasoline cars, Driving.ca reported.
CATL’s cobalt-free lithium-iron-phosphate battery packs have just recently fallen below $80/kWh, with battery cells dropping below $60/kWh. CATL’s low-cobalt NMC battery packs have almost reached that magic $100/kWh number.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 1:25 PM on Monday, May 11th, 2020
SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomiko owns 80% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property, Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information
Electric vehicles (EVs) in their current form are not practical for long distance travel due to the need for multiple or lengthy stops at charging stations. But what if they could—like planes being refueled in the air from another aircraft—get a charge-on-the-go?
The idea sounds like science fiction, but there are already technologies in use that would help facilitate specialized vehicles for charging.
For instance, Tesla cars use radar to detect the speed of other cars around them, which controls the speed of the car in relation to traffic—a feature that would make “docking†possible.
With rural electric charging stations almost non-existent, Swarup Bhunia and engineers at the University of Florida, Gainesville, are postulating that “peer-to-peer charging†and “mobile charging stations†could likely solve this problem faster than the current proliferation of charging points or battery advancements
Along with the mobile charging stations idea, Bhunia believes that if more and more people buy electric cars, it would be super-efficient if all cars on the road could share charge with one another.
The idea is bold and definitely something out of Blade Runner or Ex Machina, but Bhunia explains that, incredibly, it’s the easiest way to solve the two largest hang-ups that prevent consumers from selecting an EV—battery range, and charging time.
Cloud Technology for Traffic
“A set of cloud-based schedulers decides charge providers and receivers,†begins the hypothesis written by Bhunia et al. in a journal called arxiv that allows non peer-reviewed material to be discussed.
What Bhunia and his team are describing is a cloud system that examines all of the EV drivers on the road, where they are going, and how much charge each vehicle has. The cloud then determines, for example, that EV-A has 89% battery, but requires only 4% to reach its destination, while EV-B has 22% battery, yet requires 31% to reach its destination.
If the rerouting isn’t intrusive, the system would instruct the two EVs to carry out the charge transfer. The system would then link the provider with the receiver, and a credit system would ensure that everyone is paying for the charge they use.
Inside the given traffic network, every vehicle’s charge could be examined against each vehicle’s demand, and “mobile charging stations,†which would be large automated trucks with onboard charging equipment to fill in the demand gaps.
“We envision a safe, insulated, and firm telescopic arm carrying the charging cable,†reads the paper, describing how to get one charge into another car while barreling down the freeway, much like two aircraft during mid-air refueling. “After two EVs lock speed and are in range for charge sharing, they will extend their charging arms.â€
They admit this would be just one possible way to tackle this problem. One extremely exciting thing that the team has also imagined would be wireless charging in the future, as we can already do with our phones. Imagine realizing you need a bit of a charge up, and so you simply pull your car alongside an 18 wheeler, set the cruise control, and charge up wirelessly before continuing on your way.
Volkswagen has already unveiled a conceptual design for a little robot that will tug around a trailer of batteries while charging all the cars inside a given parking garage, and if the technology could be adopted onto a mobile charging station like a truck, car, semi-trailer, or even drone, as some have imagined, Bhunia’s dream of a cloud-sharing peer-to-peer charging network is already halfway real.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:54 AM on Wednesday, May 6th, 2020
Securing the mining licence is a critical step towards moving the Aukam Mine into commercial production
Gratomic can now produce a concentrate of up to 98% Cg
A PEA on the Aukam Processing plant to be undertaken
Diamond drilling will resume at Aukam Graphite mine
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2020 / Gratomic Inc. (“GRAT” or the “Company”) (TSXV:GRAT)(FRANKFURT:CB81)(WKN:A143MR) is pleased to announce, further to its Press Release dated March 26, 2020, that it has received confirmation from the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Namibia that the Minister has issued Mining Licence 215 (ML215) for the Company’s Aukam Graphite Property in Namibia. The Licence covers Base and Rare Metals, Industrial Minerals and Precious Metals. The Licence area falls within the proximity of the Aukam Processing Plant and the Graphite bearing shear zone for a total of 5002 hectares (5002 ha). Securing the mining licence is a critical step towards moving the Aukam Mine into commercial production.
The Company has completed 8 months of pilot testing on historically mined product and conducted an internal study on the efficiency of the pilot processing facility on this material. Through rigorous testing and adjustments to the plant, Gratomic can now produce a concentrate of up to 98% Cg. Management has subsequently decided to build a 20 000 tonne per annum processing plant. To date, 90% of construction is complete. Upon completion of the remaining 10%, the Company will initially start processing material from historical workings left at the surface when the mine last operated in 1974.
The Company has recently appointed Dr. Ian Flint to complete a preliminary economic assessment on the Aukam Processing plant. The study, its recommendations, and their subsequent implementation, will ensure the scale up of the existing pilot plant to a commercial scale processing facility that will provide the desired concentrate grades and production rates.
With respect to site exploration, in the coming months diamond drilling will resume at Aukam Graphite. The drilling will be conducted utilizing Company owned drilling equipment, focusing on areas proximal to graphite mineralization, depicted by previous diamond drilling, underground excavation and surface outcrop sampling. The drill targeting will be systematic with the expectation of producing an NI 43-101 resource estimate.
Arno Brand, President and CEO of the Company stated that “we are thrilled to receive the official mining licence for the Aukam Graphite Mine in Namibia. This is a monumental milestone for Gratomic, which took an extensive amount of effort to accomplish. Once the funding is secured, Gratomic will be able to move into the commercialization phase of development.”
Risk Factors
No mineral resources, let alone mineral reserves demonstrating economic viability and technical feasibility, have been delineated on the Aukam Property. The Company is not in a position to demonstrate or disclose any capital and/or operating costs that may be associated with the processing plant.
The Company advises that it has not based its production decision on even the existence of mineral resources let alone on a feasibility study of mineral reserves, demonstrating economic and technical viability, and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit.
Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. There is no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved.
Failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company’s ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations. Failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company’s cash flow and future profitability.
Steve Gray, P. Geo. has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release and is the Company’s “Qualified Person” as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Gratomic Inc.
Gratomic is an advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products most notably high value graphene-based components for a range of mass market products. We have a Joint Venture collaboration with Perpetuus Carbon Technology, a leading European manufacturer of graphenes, to use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GRAT.
For more information: visit the website at www.gratomic.ca or contact:
