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<ul class="summary-list"><li>US lithium production is set to spike with new projects advancing in Nevada and California.</li><li>The expansion aims to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals and electric-vehicle batteries.</li></ul>The US is on the cusp of a lithium boom after years of laying the groundwork for an electric-vehicle supply chain that doesn't rely on China.Within the past month, the Biden administration has approved the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron mine in Nevada and loaned $2.6 billion to the company developing Thacker Pass, another lithium mine in the state. A project in California's Salton Sea started construction earlier this year. The three sites, expected to come online between 2026 and 2028, would massively increase the US's lithium supply. Since the 1960s, only one site, Silver Peak, in Nevada, has operated in the country.The expansion is aimed at curbing China's control over the metals used in EV batteries and other renewable-energy technologies that countries need to decarbonize their economies. While most of the world's lithium is produced in Australia and South America, some two-thirds of it is processed in China, which also dominates EV-battery manufacturing. The US imports about 25% of its lithium supply from Chile and Argentina, but an analysis of federal data by the Atlantic Council found that it relied on China for about 70% of its lithium-ion batteries in 2023."If we're electrifying the transportation industry, you don't want to rely on any one country," Bernard Rowe, a managing director of Ioneer, which is developing Rhyolite Ridge, told Business Insider. "There was a recognition that there had to be domestic production."<div type="image" title="A customs officer holds powdery white lithium carbonate during an inspection at Shanghai İnternational Port on June 6, 2022." height="683" width="1024" msid="114817441" hostid="261" sizebytes="27062"></div>The Biden administration is encouraging US mining and manufacturing through a mix of loans, grants, tax breaks, and research and development programs — a lot of which was authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act. The incentives cover activities including extracting critical minerals like lithium; manufacturing solar, wind, and battery parts; buying EVs; and recycling components.Rowe argued that while the US alone can't meet the skyrocketing demand for lithium due to rising sales of EVs and battery storage, some of the supply has to be sourced domestically for national security reasons.Karl Friedhoff, a fellow for Asia studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, agreed. He said there's no world in which the US and its partners can quickly compete with China on critical minerals; China already has so much capacity that it sets global prices."The question then is, can the US and other partner countries create a supply chain that meets their basic requirements," Friedhoff, who's part of a project exploring how the US, Japan, Australia, and India can cooperate to shift supply chains away from China. "Can we supply our own batteries? Can we build our own battery technologies? Do we have enough rare-earth elements for defense?"Based on estimates from Ioneer and other lithium project developers, the US could produce more than enough supply for the 1.4 million EVs sold in the country last year, which accounted for 7% of the auto market.The Biden administration wants EVs to account for at least 50% of car sales by 2030, and states like California and Texas are quickly deploying more battery storage to help balance stressed power grids. In September, the White House said US lithium production was on track to meet one-fifth of global demand outside of China this decade.<h2 id="c11b28df-2899-481e-8b55-b52898315793">Some environmentalists, Native tribes are alarmed</h2>The lithium projects haven't been without controversy, however. The Center for Biological Diversity <a target="_blank" href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/blm-grants-final-approval-to-nevada-lithium-mine-threatening-biodiversity-cultural-landscapes-2024-10-24/?_gl=1*jmu4dt*_gcl_au*MTc3Mjg1OTA3Ni4xNzI5ODYzNzkz">has threatened to sue the Biden administration</a> over its permit for Rhyolite Ridge, arguing that the project could drive an endangered wildflower to extinction. The Western Shoshone Defense Project, which works to protect the Western Shoshone peoples' native homelands, says the mine threatens local water sources and culturally important sites.<div type="image" title="A Tiehm's buckwheat plant in Esmeralda County, Nevada, grows beside where the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron mine is planned." height="682" width="1024" msid="114817435" hostid="261" sizebytes="82450"></div>Thacker Pass faced similar opposition, but a federal judge last year dismissed a lawsuit from three Native tribes who argued that the mine's construction near a sacred site along Nevada's border with Oregon violated the law, <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/lithium-mine-tribes-climate-energy-lawsuit-nevada-7a65eee7d78d93a1e44e3f8e10445143">the AP reported</a>.Rowe said Ioneer redesigned the Rhyolite Ridge mine to limit its footprint in the critical habitat of the endangered wildflower, Tiehm's buckwheat. He said Ioneer would also monitor the pollinator population and adopt dust-control strategies. The Biden administration, in issuing the permit for the mine, said it would not jeopardize the flower's survival.Some companies are working on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lithium-mining-electric-vehicles-climate-crisis-2023-5">direct lithium extraction techniques</a> that don't involve open-pit mining or large evaporation ponds and therefore could require less land and water and produce less toxic chemical waste. Controlled Thermal Resources is developing such a project in the Salton Sea, where lithium-rich brine is already being used to power geothermal plants.Tapping the US's newly discovered lithium resources likely hinges on the new extraction techniques, which currently cost more than traditional methods and still haven't been used commercially. The US Geological Survey this month estimated that there's enough lithium underneath southwestern Arkansas to meet the projected global demand for car batteries in 2030 nine times over.Actually extracting that lithium, including from brines left over from oil and gas production in the region, depends on whether the direct extraction techniques are viable, USGS researchers said.

The US is on the cusp of a lithium boom to loosen China's grip on EVs

India remains highly dependent on imports for minerals critical to accelerating its <keyword id="19951336" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="energy-transition" source="keywords">energy transition</keyword>, with a full reliance on shipping in lithium, cobalt and nickel, according to a report released Monday. The report, published by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), said that India's demand for <keyword id="19978839" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="critical-minerals" source="keywords">critical minerals</keyword> is expected to more than double by 2030, while domestic mining operations may take over a decade to start producing. It stresses that India needs a carefully crafted import strategy to mitigate potential trade risks while balancing international relationships to secure these essential minerals. IEEFA's report examines five critical minerals (and their compounds) - cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium and nickel - from the perspectives of import dependency, trade dynamics, domestic availability, and global price fluctuations. The findings show that India remains largely import-dependent for these minerals and their compounds, with 100 per cent import reliance for minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. "India should strive to de-risk its critical minerals sourcing by identifying new international resources and expediting <keyword id="20681115" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="domestic-production" source="keywords">domestic production</keyword>. A concerted effort to partner with and foster bilateral relations with <keyword id="23713985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mineral-rich-nations" source="keywords">mineral-rich nations</keyword> should be a priority for India," said the report's co-author Charith Konda, Energy Specialist, IEEFA. "The country can also explore investment opportunities in resource-rich, friendly nations, such as Australia and Chile, as well as African countries like Ghana and South Africa," he added. The report said India depends heavily on China for synthetic graphite and natural graphite and it should explore cooperation initiatives with countries like Mozambique, Madagascar, Brazil and Tanzania which are some of the highest graphite producing countries. "As part of the Global South cooperation initiatives, these countries could be favourable partners for India for <keyword id="23713984" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="graphite-trading" source="keywords">graphite trading</keyword>," said the report's co-author Kaira Rakheja, Energy Analyst, IEEFA. India is also highly import-dependent for copper cathodes and nickel sulphates from just two countries - Japan and Belgium. The report suggests India could look at the US, the fifth largest producer of copper in the world, to diversify its suppliers and enhance <keyword id="23714709" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supply-security" source="keywords">supply security</keyword>. For minerals like lithium oxide and nickel oxide, the dependency is low on one country, but overall imports largely come from Russia and China, both countries with potential trade risks. "Developing domestic lithium refining capacity will help India integrate with the global lithium supply chain," said Rakheja. The report also notes the significant efforts that the Indian government is making to improve domestic production of critical minerals with the auctions by the Ministry of Mines and the planned Critical Minerals Mission. "The critical minerals mining block auctions can serve as an opportunity for India to focus on building refining and processing capabilities to emerge as a global value-adding hub," said Rakheja. "Government support in the form of viability gap funding and technology development will help promote such auctions and ultimately the domestic production of critical minerals. "A stable supply of critical minerals is imperative for India to achieve its <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">renewable energy</keyword> goals," Konda said. India has committed to achieving 500 gigawatts (GW) of non-fossil fuel-based electricity installed capacity by 2030. Currently, the country's renewable energy installed capacity stands at 201 GW, with solar energy accounting for 91 GW. According to another study, the fast-developing South Asian nation needs to install around 7,000 GW of renewable energy capacity to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.

Energy transition: India remains highly dependent on imports of critical minerals, says report

Union Minister of Road Transport Highways, <keyword id="19897455" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nitin-gadkari" source="keywords">Nitin Gadkari</keyword> on Tuesday said that <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> will soon be in a position to export <keyword id="459398" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lithium-ion-batteries" source="Orion">lithium-ion batteries</keyword>. Speaking at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM's) 64th convention in New Delhi, the Union Minister said," I'm confident that we'll be in a position to export <keyword id="1607661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lithium-ion" source="Orion">lithium-ion</keyword> batteries to the different parts of the world. At the same time, the research is going on. The aluminium, ironic oil, and different types of chemistry. I feel that it is also a good thing and there is a huge market for that." <keyword id="19934966" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gadkari" source="keywords">Gadkari</keyword> said with government initiatives and incentives many Indian companies are venturing into lithium-ion battery manufacturing. "The good thing is that lithium-ion manufacturing is now <keyword id="19898586" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="adani" source="keywords">Adani</keyword>, <keyword id="19904884" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata" source="keywords">Tata</keyword>, Maruti, LG, and Samsung. They are all coming in this business. Because...Take the example of semiconductors the government adopted is such a good policy because of that after 2 three years we will be the number one in the manufacturing of the semiconductors in the world," he said. Going further, Gadkari stated that India's EV market is expected to grow to one crore units of annual sales by 2030 and will create five crore jobs. Indian EV market has the potential to become Rs 20 lack crore by 2030. Gadkari asked the industry to focus on quality, better designs, and use the latest technology if they want to compete in the segment and boost exports. Consumers are now conscious of quality. The government is working on establishing a testing agency for better research and testing of vehicle manufacturing. CIIT Training Institute will be established in Pune with a sanctioned cost of Rs 450 crore. "Regarding the Testing Agency for Better Research and Development and Development world-class Testing Agency in CIIT Pune we have decided to start a new venture there with international standards and having all types of the facility which are available in the world and my department has sanctioned 450 Cor or that already DPR is in process and next three months we will try to start this project and that is to be very important for the industry where we will get maximum service and maximum to all the industry," he said. The Union Minister requested the automobile industry to support and cooperate with the government for India's scrappage policy. Gadkari asked the industry to promote and come up with better incentives for the scrappage of old vehicles. The vehicle manufacturers of the USA and Europe have increased their sales by 9 to 12 per cent by promoting scrappage policy. He also thanked the industry for the decision to provide a 3 percent discount for vehicle owners for scrapping their vehicles, adding that the cost of components can be reduced by 20-40 per cent due to the move. Gadkari urged the industry to establish their own scrappage centres. In his remarks, Gadkari said, "The automobile industry plays a pivotal role in realizing the Prime Minister's vision of transforming India into a 5 trillion-dollar economy and elevating it to the third largest economy globally. Our ambition is to extend it as the number one auto manufacturing industry worldwide. As we target a carbon-neutral status by 2070, innovation and sustainable practices in the auto sector are crucial." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ather-energy-looks-to-raise-3100-crore-files-ipo-papers-with-sebi/articleshow/113214971.cms">Ather Energy looks to raise ₹3,100 crore, files IPO papers with SEBI</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/iphone-16-pro-iphone-16-pro-max-india-price-specifications/articleshow/113204340.cms">iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with bigger displays, A18 Pro chipset launched starting at ₹1,19,900</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/apple-iphone-16-iphone-16-plus-price-specs/articleshow/113203568.cms">iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus with A18 chipset launched starting at ₹79,900</a>

India will soon be in a position to export Lithium-ion batteries: Nitin Gadkari

Busting the myth: Why EVs aren't always greener than petrol or diesel vehicles

Earlier this week, <keyword id="19935844" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lebanon" source="keywords">Lebanon</keyword> was rocked by a series of deadly explosions involving pagers and walkie-talkies, killing dozens and injuring thousands. These incidents, allegedly linked to Israeli covert operations targeting <keyword id="19925799" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hezbollah" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hezbollah" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hezbollah">Hezbollah</keyword>, sent shockwaves through the region. The blasts have since sparked a wave of fear — can modern, personal devices like smartphones also be hacked and turned into weapons? <h2>What happened in Lebanon?</h2>The explosions in Lebanon were far from random. Reports suggest that pagers used by Hezbollah operatives had been rigged with explosives and remotely detonated, catching their users off-guard. Security sources indicate that the rigging involved physically placing explosives inside these relatively old devices, and then using the communication functionality of the pagers to trigger the blasts. This raises the question: if pagers and walkie-talkies can be tampered with in such a devastating way, could modern consumer electronics — like your smartphone — suffer the same fate? <h2>Are smartphones at risk?</h2>The short answer is no, or at least not in the same way. The technology used in the <keyword id="23230922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pager-attacks" source="keywords">pager attacks</keyword> in Lebanon exploited vulnerabilities specific to older devices. Unlike the bulky pagers involved in the attacks, modern smartphones are designed with highly sophisticated internal components, which are tightly packed with almost no room for extra materials like explosives. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113448146" title="Lebanon pager explosion: What is Hezbollah and why is Israel targeting it?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Moreover, the idea of hacking a smartphone to make it explode is highly impractical. While it's true that lithium-ion batteries in smartphones can overheat and, in rare cases, explode, this is typically due to manufacturing defects or improper charging, not hacking. Security experts stress that breaking into consumer devices to physically modify them with explosives would require access to the supply chain — an almost impossible feat on a large scale. In other words, your phone isn't going to explode just because someone hacks it. Further, even if a hacker could compromise the software of a phone, it is unlikely that they would be able to create an <keyword id="19930918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="explosion" source="keywords">explosion</keyword> just by pushing code. Devices like pagers, on the other hand, have larger components and more rudimentary designs, making them more vulnerable to physical sabotage. <h2>Why the fear persists</h2>Despite reassurances from experts, the explosions in Lebanon have left many wondering what the future holds. As technology advances, so do the methods of warfare. While it is unlikely that your phone will ever be hacked to explode, the attacks on Hezbollah have inevitably sown fear that even everyday technology can be weaponised under certain conditions. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113478704" title="The detonation of pagers used by Hezbollah shows the depths of supply-chain infiltration" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>But for the most part, the average person needn’t worry about their phone becoming a bomb, as <keyword id="19906883" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cybersecurity" source="keywords">cybersecurity</keyword> expert Daniel Card puts it. However, the fact that such attacks are happening on specific groups means we cannot entirely dismiss the potential for other forms of tech-based sabotage in the future. These events serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in the devices we rely on, not just from a privacy perspective but from a <keyword id="20676085" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="physical-security" source="keywords">physical security</keyword> angle. Companies like Apple and Google have made strides in protecting their users from digital threats with regular updates and robust security features. However, physical tampering — like what happened in Lebanon — is a whole new battlefield that the tech world must keep an eye on.

Could your personal smartphone be hacked to explode like the pagers in Lebanon?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>General Motors is investing $625 million in the electric vehicle supply chain.</li><li>The funds will help Lithium Americas Corp develop and operate a major lithium mine in Nevada.</li></ul>Detroit-based automaker General Motors is pumping money into the domestic supply chain for electric vehicle batteries.Canadian mining company Lithium Americas Corp announced in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241016466651/en/">press release</a> on Wednesday that GM investing a total of $625 million to fund the mining of lithium carbonate, a critical component of EV batteries. The cash-and-credit joint venture will fund the development, construction, and operation of the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Humboldt County, Nevada, in which GM will acquire a 38% asset-level ownership stake, the press release states.The automaker's investment in Thacker Pass, the<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://lithiumamericas.com/news/news-details/2024/Lithium-Americas-Provides-a-Thacker-Pass-Construction-Plan-Update/default.aspx"> largest known lithium resource in North America</a>, will also help Lithium Americas unlock a $2.3 billion conditional loan from the US Department of Energy, which was first announced earlier this year, the mining company said.GM will give $430 million in cash to help fund the building of Phase 1 of the mine, as well as a $195 million letter of credit facility to be used as collateral for the DOE loan, according to the press release."Our relationship with GM has been significantly strengthened with this joint venture as we continue to pursue a mutual goal to develop a robust domestic lithium supply chain by advancing the development of Thacker Pass," Jonathan Evans, President and CEO of Lithium Americas, said in the company's press release."Today's joint venture announcement is a win-win for GM and Lithium Americas," Evans continued.Jeff Morrison, GM's senior vice president of global purchasing and supply chain, said in Wednesday's press release that investing directly in the raw materials needed for EVs will help the company develop a resilient supply chain and "manage battery cell costs, deliver value to our customers and investors, and create jobs."GM's investment in the EV supply chain comes after the automaker announced this summer that it <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/etf/auto-industry-pulls-back-on-evs-as-consumers-hesitate-over-high-price-inconvenience-1033570316#:~:text=On%20Wednesday%2C%20General%20Motors%20Co,from%20200%2C000%20to%20250%2C000%20vehicles.&amp;text=Even%20Tesla%2C%20Inc.,investment%20in%20battery%2Dpowered%20vehicles.">would be scaling back its 2024 EV production goal</a> by 50,000 units, as consumer demand for the battery-powered vehicles has waned and sales have slowed down.Even so, the investment by GM will help the automaker secure a steady domestic supply of battery metals.Despite the auto industry's recent pullback on EV production, lithium mining company Rio Tinto agreed last week to take over Arcadium Lithium for $6.7 billion, under the expectation that lithium demand will increase in the coming decade, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/business/rio-tinto-to-acquire-arcadium-lithium-for-6-7-billion-2bce3360?mod=article_inline">The Wall Street Journal reported</a>.

GM makes a $625 million lithium-battery move to shore up its EV supply chain

<keyword id="19936674" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance" source="keywords">Reliance</keyword> Industries Ltd, <keyword id="22746601" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indias-most-valuable-company" source="keywords">India's most valuable company</keyword>, plans to commission its first <keyword id="22746598" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="solar-giga-factory" source="keywords">solar giga-factory</keyword> in the current fiscal as it pivots a <keyword id="20534377" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-pathway" source="keywords">green pathway</keyword> to achieve <keyword id="20824969" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="net-zero-carbon-emissions" source="keywords">net zero carbon emissions</keyword> from operations by 2035. In its largest annual report, the firm said it is targeting to commission the first train of 20GW solar PV (photovoltaic) <keyword id="19914449" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="manufacturing" source="keywords">manufacturing</keyword> by the end of 2024-25 fiscal (April 2024 to March 2025) and scale up to 20GW in a phased manner over 2026. The solar giga factory will include <keyword id="19914449" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="manufacturing" source="keywords">manufacturing</keyword> of <keyword id="22746599" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PV-modules" source="keywords">PV modules</keyword>, cells, wafers and ingots, polysilicon, and glass at a single location. The modules convert sunlight into electricity. It is also targeting industrialising <keyword id="22746600" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sodium-ion-cell-production" source="keywords">sodium-ion cell production</keyword> at the MW level in 2025 and first 50 MWh a year <keyword id="22746602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lithium-battery-cells" source="keywords">lithium battery cells</keyword> pilot in 2026. <keyword id="19936674" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance" source="keywords">Reliance</keyword> had in 2021 announced plans to invest USD 10 billion over three years to develop a new fuels business based on 100 GW of renewable power capacity by 2030. The plan involves setting up four giga factories for manufacturing renewables equipment, battery storage, fuel cells and hydrogen at Jamnagar in Gujarat. "We have made significant progress in establishing factories that will be part of our Integrated Solar PV Manufacturing," the firm said in the annual report. "New Energy will be commissioning its first train of Module and Cell Manufacturing in FY25." Solar panels manufactured in Jamnagar have obtained BIS certification. "Parallelly, work on <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">renewable energy</keyword> development has commenced and Reliance has been allotted land in Gujarat," it said. "We aim to become the largest <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">renewable energy</keyword> (RE) developer in India." Besides commissioning the first train of module and cell of 20GW of solar PV manufacturing, 2024-25 may also see industrialise sodium ion cell production at a MW level. Next year, PV factory is to be scaled to 20GW in a phased manner, and a battery giga factory starting with a 50 MWh a year <keyword id="22746602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lithium-battery-cells" source="keywords">lithium battery cells</keyword> pilot set up. In FY27, it plans to establish a cell-to-pack manufacturing facility of 50 GWh and will set up 100 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. The 100GW target will propel the company into the front rank of renewables ambitions globally, joining the likes of Enel, Iberdrola and oil players TotalEnergies and BP in the scale of capacity additions envisaged. Reliance said fossil fuels have historically fed India's power requirements. "Structural inefficiencies combined with rising costs of fossil fuel has resulted in expensive power for commercial and residential customers - average tariff of Rs 10 per kWh (unit)." Therefore, it is not feasible for India to keep relying on fossil fuels for its growth, it said, adding the use of fossil fuels-based energy increases dependence on imports and results in drain of foreign exchange. "Stable and round-the-clock cost-efficient green power is the need of the hour. India needs to solve this problem to maintain its growth trajectory and reach USD 32 trillion GDP by 2047," it said. Reliance said over the next 12 months, its focus is to bring new energy manufacturing facilities on-stream, operate them efficiently and start developing renewable energy generation projects. "Simultaneously, we would develop the supply chain locally for self-sufficiency and reduce the reliance on imports," it said. The firm aims to partner leading global climate technology and product companies and develop a business model which is flexible and adaptable to different technologies and future proofed to be always lowest life cycle cost and best in class. Reliance has snapped up multiple partnerships in the clean energy space, such as solar and electric mobility, while pursuing its oil and petrochemical plans. Jamnagar, the world's biggest single-site integrated refinery complex, has two refineries -- one domestic-focused and a newer only for exports -- that together can process low-grade crude and switch between fuels depending on prices.

Reliance to commission first solar giga-factory in FY25

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A fire at a battery factory in South Korea has killed 22 mostly Chinese workers.</li><li>Officials told Reuters the fire began after several lithium battery cells exploded.</li></ul>22 workers have died after a fire tore through a lithium battery factory in South Korea.Local fire officials <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/about-20-bodies-found-after-fire-south-korea-battery-plant-yonhap-reports-2024-06-24/">told Reuters</a> that the fire at the Aricell battery factory in Hwaseong began after several battery cells exploded inside the warehouse.The cause of the explosion remains unclear, but officials said that the blaze was now extinguished.Local fire official Kim Jin-young, citing information from Aricell, told Reuters that 18 of the deceased workers had been Chinese.He earlier said that two others had suffered burns and serious injuries, and that due to the intensity of the blaze it was difficult to identify the dead.The fire is the deadliest in South Korea since <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/south-korea-construction-fire-kills-least-36-n1195161">38 people died in a construction site near Seoul</a> in 2020.<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/shanghaidaily/status/1805153911340458256">Videos on social media</a> showed enormous plumes of smoke rising from the battery plant, where 102 people had been working, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/24/world/asia/lithium-battery-fire-south-korea.html">The New York Times</a>.Although rare, lithium battery fires can be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-vehicle-fires-what-to-know-2023-11">notoriously difficult</a> to extinguish. A Tesla "Megapack" that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-megapack-battery-fire-burns-four-days-testing-australia-2021-8">caught fire in Australia in 2021</a> took 150 firefighters four days to put out.Last year, a container ship carrying <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/30/us/cargo-ship-fire-batteries-alaska.html">nearly 2,000 tons of lithium-ion batteries</a> was forced to remain moored off the coast of Alaska after a fire broke out on board.Korea's National Fire Agency and Aricell did not immediately respond to a request for comment made outside normal working hours.

22 people dead after fire rips through South Korean lithium battery factory

The true cost of the lithium mining boom powering electric cars

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The war in Ukraine has spurred more research into clean energy, including lithium-ion alternatives.</li><li>Producing these batteries often involves child labor and can cause environmental harm.</li></ul>Russia's <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/ukraine-war-sparks-surge-in-solar-power-generation-in-europe-1031845619">war in Ukraine</a> has had a peculiar but positive result: A newly invigorated push across Europe to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-gas-energy-invasion-ukraine-harsh-wake-up-call-uk-2022-6">rely less on Russia's crude oil</a> and to hit its renewable energy goals.It has also spurred research into safer <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/billion-dollar-race-to-develop-a-breakthrough-lithium-ion-battery-2020-2">alternatives to the lithium-ion batteries</a> used in the ever-expanding <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ev-electric-car-sales-plateau-early-adopters-competition-2023-8">electric vehicle market</a>.Research on batteries made of sand, for example, is gaining traction, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/08/24/natural-battery-storage/">The Washington Post.</a><h2>Ukraine War has sped up clean energy research across Europe</h2>Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked interest in more clean energy sources in Europe, said Olga Khakova, deputy director for European energy security at the Global Energy Center at the Atlantic Council. "Russia wanted to ensure that Ukraine would receive no support or minimal support from allies in order to make it as easy as possible for them to achieve their geopolitical objectives in the country," Khakova told Insider. "And one of the ways that they wanted to ensure that is through holding Europe hostage through tremendous reliance on Russian energy supplies."The push for clean energy solutions has fostered collaboration among energy experts across the continent, leading to new innovations across the board, she said."There's always tensions and different views in terms of some of the climate policies," Khakova said. "But watching Europe put a lot of these issues aside and kind of come together to stick through this and overcome this energy crisis, resilience and innovation is still there."One of the key resulting innovations has been new alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, the development of which is tied to human rights abuses and environmental harm.<h2>Lithium-ion battery alternatives made from sand</h2>Amid this wave of new research, a Finnish company called <a href="https://polarnightenergy.fi/">Polar Night Energy</a> is producing batteries made out of sand that it says can rival the power of lithium-ion batteries, the Washington Post reported.Sand batteries store energy generated by the sun or wind that is then converted into heat, which the sand can hold and maintain — with the help of a fan — until it's time to use it for energy, researchers told the Post.The development could help alleviate the human rights abuses and environmental damage that often come with mining cobalt and nickel, two key components of a lithium-ion battery.The cobalt mining industry relies heavily on child labor, <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/01/child-labour-behind-smart-phone-and-electric-car-batteries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Amnesty International.</a> In just the Democratic Republic of the Congo — the world's largest supplier of cobalt — Amnesty International estimates about 40,000 children are working in cobalt mines. Khakova said the war in Ukraine has accelerated discussions among energy experts across Europe about how to set proper standards for the mining and processing of these critical minerals. Beyond the human rights abuses prevalent in the cobalt industry, lithium-ion batteries also present environmental hazards. Fires caused by the batteries are on the rise, with some incidents requiring hundreds of firefighters to extinguish, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/09/tech/lithium-ion-battery-fires/index.html">CNN reported earlier this year.</a>

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22 people dead after fire rips through South Korean lithium battery factory

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The Ukraine War has accelerated research into lithium-ion battery alternatives, including ones made of sand

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