Commodities
Home›Commodities›Energy Transition›Nanorobots target lithium production to reduce China’s…
Nanorobots target lithium production to reduce China’s supply leverage
The International Renewable Energy Agency expects battery-only lithium demand to rise by about 10 times from 2020 to 2030, underscoring the urgency of expanding non-Chinese supply and refining capacity.
Lithium has become a major geopolitical and energy-security issue because China dominates both lithium mining and refining, giving Beijing significant leverage over battery-grade supply chains, according to OilPrice.
The outlet points to IRENA estimates that lithium demand for battery making alone could increase by a factor of ten between 2020 and 2030, and cites a 2023 Popular Mechanics calculation that an electrified economy in 2030 may require 250,000 to 450,000 tonnes of lithium.
OilPrice says current production levels highlight the scale of the needed ramp-up, noting the world produced 105 tonnes in 2021, and it adds that Chinese companies control one quarter of global lithium mining capacity and 60 percent of global refining capacity for EV battery-grade lithium.
The article also states that more than three-quarters of lithium-ion batteries are produced in China and frames efforts like lithium-focused nanorobotics as a potential approach to broaden supply and support the clean energy transition.