Exploring Sustainable EV Battery Solutions on the Ocean Floor

EV sales are anticipated to skyrocket in the coming years and account for more than 20% of global light duty vehicle sales by 2030. While these predictions signal a steady transition to a green economy, there are still environmental concerns over the sourcing of materials (e.g., cobalt, lithium, nickel) for the batteries that power EVs. Those working in the battery industry are continuing efforts for a sustainable sourcing solution that avoids depleting finite earth minerals.

What Are the Benefits of Sustainable Sourcing?

One company exploring alternative solutions is Canadian DeepGreen Metals, which is employing a research team to conduct studies on extracting raw materials from the seafloor. The DeepGreen team believes its method for mining minerals from the seafloor is more sustainable than traditional land mining and will lead to less carbon dioxide emissions and land degradation among other things. DeepGreen’s method consists of extracting polymetallic nodules from sea rock. Made up of cobalt, manganese, nickel, and copper, these nodules are being considered a viable alternative to the land-based ore supply. The aforementioned minerals are the primary components of commonly used EV batteries. (NMC, LFP, and NCA are the primary Li-ion chemistries used in EVs.)*

The team conducting research for DeepGreen has provided results for its study, which looked at various environmental impacts associated with seafloor mining and land mining. The study found that the ocean nodule mining method reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 70%, land use by 94%, risk to wildlife by 93%, and solid waste by 100%. Although the company is confident that the deep-sea floor provides limited food resources and habitat for wildlife, concerns still exist over negative impacts to the ecosystem’s biodiversity from seafloor mining. DeepGreen plans to conduct multiyear environmental impact studies to assess this new mining method, and independent studies are planned with the same focus.

Maintaining a Green Outlook

The potential increase in product yield from using this sourcing method could result in more EV battery manufacturers securing a mineral supply for their products. Right now, the outlook for such supplies is uncertain. Furthermore, if positive results from these studies persist, the industry could be looking at a new standard for sustainable material sourcing. Securing a sustainable supply of battery materials should be integral to the common objective of a green energy transition. Currently, supply of these resources in limited to a few regions such as Africa and Australia, but more innovative methods of sourcing could provide greater geographic diversity to the supply chain.

However, close attention needs to be paid to any independent research teams carrying out environmental and social impact assessments for accurate and transparent findings. The deep-sea floor is a little understood ecosystem, and a thorough understanding of this new mining method is necessary before accelerating its market. At the moment, DeepGreen has exclusive rights under the International Seabed Authority to explore for polymetallic nodules in regions of the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean.

*Note: NMC stands for lithium nickel manganese cobalt, LFP stands for lithium iron phosphate oxide, and NCA stands for lithium nickel cobalt aluminium.