Chris Irwin’s Post

🌍 Pausefika news: From Black Gold to White Gold - SLB Breaking into Lithium Extraction ⚡ 🔋 SLB (formerly Schlumberger), a leader in oilfield services, is expanding its expertise into the booming lithium extraction market! 🚀 (see: https://lnkd.in/ddjRy5xy) In a major step towards energy innovation, SLB has achieved impressive results at its pilot lithium extraction plant in Nevada, using cutting-edge Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology. 🛠️ Unlike traditional evaporation methods, DLE extracts lithium from brine through a filtration process, showcasing a more efficient and sustainable approach (see: https://lnkd.in/dH8-94r7 ) 🔋 Lithium, the "white gold," is key for the future of energy, especially in powering electric vehicles and battery storage solutions. With SLB's decades of expertise in fluid extraction, this venture could revolutionize the lithium industry and position SLB as a key player in the global energy transition. “This is a big moment,” says Gavin Rennick, President of SLB's New Energy division. Stay tuned on Pausefika for exchange with energy experts! PS: A few years ago, Todd Allyn Flach and I discussed the possibility of combining CCS with lithium brine extraction. Feel free to contact us if you're curious. Using oil & gas expertise for lithium extraction is a natural fit for a former shale gas specialist like me. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dAbi4sn5 #LithiumExtraction #EnergyTransition #Innovation #Sustainability #SLB #FutureOfEnergy #Tech #Pausefika

Check out our latest blog on critical minerals! 🌟 Julia Moon’s second article in our critical minerals series explores the vital role these resources play in the green transition. As we ramp up production for clean tech and EVs, it’s essential to balance economic growth with sustainability and social responsibility. Discover the latest insights on how the U.S. is navigating production challenges, permitting delays, and Indigenous communities. https://lnkd.in/ePzmSv6r #criticalminerals #sustainability #esg #cleanenergy #renewables

Really important report out from RMI on demand for battery minerals as part of the 100% renewable energy transition. Many of the predictions for increased mineral demand are way overblown (heavily promoted by fossil fuel interests as a reason to invest in CCS). Examining the trajectory of improved efficiency, recycling, and chemistry innovation demand is about HALF of current BAU projections. https://lnkd.in/esuCqdF6 via Kingsmill Bond

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭! Exploitation of natural resources for green energy, particularly in mining, often involves the extraction of minerals like lithium, aluminium, and cobalt for batteries in renewable technologies. Balancing the demand for green energy with responsible resource extraction practices remains a critical challenge in the transition towards a more sustainable future. In our new study with Blessing Olamide Taiwo et al., we aim to explore efficient resource allocation for electric car production by anticipating future aluminium pricing. This is vital for the electric car sector to maintain a steady supply chain, efficient production, and long-term growth, accurate forecasts are essential for policymakers and resource sustainability experts to plan resource policies. This study is published recently in Resources Policy Elsevier Link: https://lnkd.in/gWV3PAhJ #Sustainability #Greenenergy #Aluminum #Lowcarbon #Prediction #Research #Minerals #Naturalresources

Minerals are essential to the global economy and to the technologies powering the clean energy transition. Diverse, secure, and sustainable supply chains for critical energy minerals are vital to deploying these technologies at the speed and scale necessary to combat the climate crisis. The Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) aims to accelerate the development of diverse and sustainable critical energy minerals supply chains through working with host governments and industry to facilitate targeted financial and diplomatic support for strategic projects along the value chain. MSP partners include Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union (represented by the European Commission). The MSP considers projects along the full clean energy value chain, from mining, extraction, and secondary recovery, to processing and refining, and ultimately to recycling. The MSP focuses on the minerals and metals supply chains most relevant for clean energy technologies. These include – but are not limited to – lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, graphite, rare earth elements, and copper.   About the MSP Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez explains the goals of the MSP. For Full details : https://lnkd.in/gWG3QTe2

Battery minerals are essential for the clean energy transition and decarbonizing transportation. Demand for these minerals will greatly increase by 2040, potentially leading to supply shortages by 2030.

Aside from design to recycle regulations needed asap, incentivising waste metal recovery research (and investment) is critical to reduce the future mining bill on the environment. https://lnkd.in/e35PJBGC Kees Baldé Kwasi Ampofo Jeremy Mehta, PhD Joshua Blaisdell Maddie Stone #circulareconomy #metalwaste #sustainablemining #criticalminerals #technologywaste #recycle #longevity #regulation #industrialpolicy #environmentalimpact #transitionfinance #sustainablefinance #strategicfinance #energytransition #justtransition

The battery industry is witnessing a shift in chemistry dynamics, impacting demand for critical minerals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt. Changes include exploring alternatives like increasing manganese content and sodium-ion battery technology. This shift may also affect the balance between new and recycled metals in the battery ecosystem.

«Do you want your electric-vehicle (EV) batteries to be cheap, or do you want them sourced ethically?» «Is the goal widespread energy adoption as quickly and cheaply as possible, or a responsibly, ethically sourced supply chain?" asked Frank Fannon, managing director of Fannon Global Advisors and the inaugural US assistant secretary of state for energy resources.» «Vaccari points to Copper Mark, an environmental assurance program established in 2019 that can trace the chain of custody of a shipment of copper from extraction to end user—whether it is mine-to-vehicle, mine-to-laptop, or mine-to-building-wiring. A similar framework could be created for the minerals and elements that go into EV batteries» «We don't have a lot of (tracing and transparency) of battery metals," Fannon noted of the thinly traded market. "There have been calls for increased transparency, but companies haven't embraced that to a sufficient degree. But if we can track emissions of invisible gases, we can track what types of workers are in the supply chain."