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Lithium-Ion Batteries

New Li-Bridge Initiative on Tracking and Tracing Lithium Batteries

2024-08-30T14:19:02-04:00

On August 29, I had the pleasure of participating in the fifth government-industry forum of the Li-Bridge project at Argonne National Laboratory outside Chicago.  The forum sought to collect information and opinions from leading private companies and government agencies on various schemes that have been proposed to track and trace the contents and performance attributes of high capacity lithium-based batteries over their lifetime use in commerce.  The best known of those schemes, which the forum discussed extensively, was the EU’s Battery Passport. Representatives from more than 50 companies and government agencies participated in the forum.  The participants represented the entire breadth [...]

New Li-Bridge Initiative on Tracking and Tracing Lithium Batteries2024-08-30T14:19:02-04:00

In Memory of Ralph J. Brodd

2024-03-01T22:11:22-05:00

Last month, the lithium battery industry lost another giant: Ralph J. Brodd.  Ralph had not been active in the battery industry for several years.  As a result his name may not be familiar to many who entered the industry during that time.  But Ralph may be one of the most consequential figures in the history of advanced battery technology in the United States. Ralph’s resume reads like a laundry list of positions and accomplishments.  He was a past President of the Electrochemical Society. He was an advisor to most of the national laboratories working on advanced battery technology.  He published more [...]

In Memory of Ralph J. Brodd2024-03-01T22:11:22-05:00

The Blessing of Chinese Graphite Export Restrictions

2023-10-20T15:33:53-04:00

On October 20, 2023, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced that it would restrict the export of the types of graphite used in military and EV applications.  Today China is the source of 60% of all natural graphite production and 90% of all synthetic graphite production.  News of the Chinese move sent shockwaves through the EV community and probably through the U.S. military as well.  Lithium-ion batteries used in EV’s and in military applications require large amounts of battery-grade graphite. Although the restriction of Chinese graphite may cause a short-term disruption in the supply of battery-grade graphite in North America, that [...]

The Blessing of Chinese Graphite Export Restrictions2023-10-20T15:33:53-04:00

NAATBatt Statement on the White House’s 100-Day Supply Chain Review for Large Capacity Batteries

2021-06-09T09:22:15-04:00

NAATBatt International applauds the release of the White House's 100-Day Review under Executive Order 14017 of the domestic supply chain for large capacity batteries (see: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/100-day-supply-chain-review-report.pdf).   The Review’s recommendations for building domestic demand for large capacity batteries, investing in the extraction and refining of energy materials, supporting private investment in cell and cell component manufacturing, encouraging battery recycling and doubling-down on next generation battery R&D are spot on.  If the federal government follows through on those recommendations with consistent, bipartisan action, U.S. companies and U.S. workers will be able to compete, and perhaps one day to lead the world, in [...]

NAATBatt Statement on the White House’s 100-Day Supply Chain Review for Large Capacity Batteries2021-06-09T09:22:15-04:00

Why Batteries are Important to America

2021-05-07T10:37:01-04:00

Good afternoon.  My name is Jim Greenberger and I am the Executive Director and founder of NAATBatt International, the trade association for developers, manufacturers and users of advanced battery technology in North America.  Since 2008, NAATBatt’s mission has been to promote the manufacture of advanced batteries in the United States and the growth of the good American jobs that manufacturing will create.  Today, NAATBatt has 162 corporate and institutional members representing all elements of the advanced battery supply chain. I want to use my opening remarks to emphasize why battery technology is important to the United States.  In truth, it is [...]

Why Batteries are Important to America2021-05-07T10:37:01-04:00

Re-Thinking Energy Security and Lithium-Ion Batteries

2021-04-23T13:12:19-04:00

Lithium battery technology will be one of the most important technologies of the 21st Century.  That is not because there is anything special about batteries.  Battery technology has been known to man for 2,000 years.  But the development of batteries based on the lithium atom, the fourth lightest element in the universe, has made batteries a critical, strategic technology. The significance of the light weight, high energy lithium-ion battery is that it can supply electricity to any point in space without the need of an electrical cord.  This has opened the possibility of consumer electronics, electric vehicles, drones, renewable energy, [...]

Re-Thinking Energy Security and Lithium-Ion Batteries2021-04-23T13:12:19-04:00

NAATBatt 2021 Suggests a Three-Part Plan for Building an Advanced Battery Industry in North America

2021-02-12T13:17:56-05:00

NAATBatt 2021 concluded on Thursday, February 11.  It was the first, and hopefully the last, virtual annual meeting of the NAATBatt International organization. By the standards of expectation, the meeting was a great success.  NAATBatt 2021 managed to incorporate the usual high-quality content of past NAATBatt annual meetings despite the disadvantage of its virtual format.  Most remarkable was the success of the networking sessions:  the on-line breakfast table discussions and the meeting and greet sessions.  Those proved immensely popular, proving that interactive sessions can work even in large virtual meetings and that good, productive conversations can still be had among participants. [...]

NAATBatt 2021 Suggests a Three-Part Plan for Building an Advanced Battery Industry in North America2021-02-12T13:17:56-05:00

The Conundrum of the North American Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain

2020-10-22T11:50:43-04:00

Electricity unattached to the grid will power the technologies that shape the 21st Century.  Unless and until fuel cells, green hydrogen and other electricity micro-generation technologies mature, advanced batteries, and in particular lithium-ion batteries, are likely to be the source of much of that power. Where those batteries are made and who makes them matters.  Ensuring adequate supplies of lithium-ion batteries will be an important national security issue.  Lithium-ion batteries are also an important tool in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  But most importantly, lithium-ion batteries and the technologies they enable are likely to create substantial wealth and many [...]

The Conundrum of the North American Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain2020-10-22T11:50:43-04:00

Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries is an Inadequate First Step

2020-09-11T16:50:42-04:00

On Thursday, September 10, the Advanced Manufacturing Office of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the creation of the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries (FCAB) to accelerate development of a domestic industrial base for advanced batteries.  The FCAB is part of the strategy outlined in the DOE’s Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC) Draft Roadmap, an initiative that started earlier this year. Although the FCAB announcement is light on details (see: https://bit.ly/2Rkkwwy), it seems to be an effort to pull experts from multiple agencies, including the DOE, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense and the Department of State, [...]

Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries is an Inadequate First Step2020-09-11T16:50:42-04:00

Recycling Workshop a Virtual Success

2020-07-17T07:09:09-04:00

NAATBatt held its third annual Workshop on Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries on Tuesday, July 14.  Because of the Covid situation, NAATBatt was forced to hold the workshop as a webinar rather than as a live event.  I was unsure exactly how that was going to work out. In fact, the virtual workshop worked better than I expected and far better than I had feared.  185 people registered to attend this year’s recycling workshop, almost double the number that attended the highly successful second annual workshop in Buffalo last July. The sudden move in the battery industry, and indeed in all industries, [...]

Recycling Workshop a Virtual Success2020-07-17T07:09:09-04:00
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