It's crucial to agriculture and EV batteries, scarce and concentrated in a few countries, linked to pollution from cradle to grave – why the low profile?
I've wondered about this, so thanks, Ian, for giving this perspective. Would it be wrong to say that phosphate for EV batteries is a very small part of overall demand/production? Also, phosphate has the potential advantage over nickel and cobalt (for EV batteries) in that a lot of production is in the US. At least we can take responsibility for our own impacts that way, although it sounds like Tunisia and Togo are bearing some risks too. As I recall, the island country of Nauru was pretty much obliterated by phosphate mining.
Yeah, phosphate could definitely have an advantage over nickel/cobalt cathodes. I wouldn't know how to weigh the pollution of LFP and NMC against each other. With this post, I wanted to start a conversation about phosphate and climate, because it's wrapped up in climate action in a few different ways, including batteries. The scientists I cite at the beginning (https://www.nature.com/articles/s43246-022-00236-4) believe LFPs may be 5% of phosphate demand by 2050, which is either small or large, depending on how important phosphates will be in agriculture. Fertilizers can either trap or release carbon from soil, too. I'm learning a lot, and I don't quite know how it all fits together yet!
I've wondered about this, so thanks, Ian, for giving this perspective. Would it be wrong to say that phosphate for EV batteries is a very small part of overall demand/production? Also, phosphate has the potential advantage over nickel and cobalt (for EV batteries) in that a lot of production is in the US. At least we can take responsibility for our own impacts that way, although it sounds like Tunisia and Togo are bearing some risks too. As I recall, the island country of Nauru was pretty much obliterated by phosphate mining.
Yeah, phosphate could definitely have an advantage over nickel/cobalt cathodes. I wouldn't know how to weigh the pollution of LFP and NMC against each other. With this post, I wanted to start a conversation about phosphate and climate, because it's wrapped up in climate action in a few different ways, including batteries. The scientists I cite at the beginning (https://www.nature.com/articles/s43246-022-00236-4) believe LFPs may be 5% of phosphate demand by 2050, which is either small or large, depending on how important phosphates will be in agriculture. Fertilizers can either trap or release carbon from soil, too. I'm learning a lot, and I don't quite know how it all fits together yet!