From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
By Paul Homewood
Only in the disfunctional EU!
LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) – Top lithium producer Albemarle Corp (ALB.N) may have to shut its Langelsheim plant in Germany if the metal used in electric vehicle batteries is declared a hazardous material by the European Union, its finance chief told Reuters.
Lithium’s pivotal role in electric vehicles makes it an important commodity in meeting global targets to cut carbon emissions, and it was added to the EU’s list of critical raw materials in 2020.
However, the European Commission is currently assessing a proposal by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to classify lithium carbonate, chloride and hydroxide as dangerous for human health.
That would result in a more restrictive regulatory framework for their use at a time when the EU is aiming to be self-sufficient in electric vehicle batteries by 2025.
The proposal doesn’t ban lithium imports, but if legislated will add to costs for processors from more stringent rules controlling processing, packaging and storage.
“Albemarle would no longer be able to import our primary feedstock, lithium chloride, putting the entire (Langelsheim) facility in jeopardy of closure,” said Chief Financial Officer Scott Tozier in an emailed statement.
“With sales of approximately $500 million annually, the economic impact to Albemarle from the potential closure would be significant,” Tozier added.
We have of course been promised millions of new green jobs, based around low carbon technologies. But the harsh reality is that China can produce everything much cheaper than Europe can.
Part of the reason for this is that China could not give a toss about environmental standards, while the West obsesses about ESG. It is simply not possible for Europe or the US to produce lithium for batteries without either making them unaffordable or compromising the high environmental standards currently insisted on.
But this latest case adds to the absurdity of the EU’s green agenda, as it appears that even established producers of lithium in Europe might not be able to continue processing lithium chloride, even though it is mined elsewhere.
The Greeniacs want us to abandon fossil fuels, but don’t want the alternatives to be produced in their backyard!
But this latest case adds to the absurdity of the EU’s green agenda, as it appears that even established producers of lithium in Europe might not be able to continue processing lithium chloride, even though it is mined elsewhere.
The Greeniacs want us to abandon fossil fuels, but don’t want the alternatives to be produced in their backyard!
Oh dear, I weep for the poor Jerries! Well, you have to laugh till the tears come, n’est-ce pas?
Interesting. I had a look at the ECHA website and could not find Lithium being investigated.
https://echa.europa.eu/oels-activity-list
Their actual database was down when I looked, but the above link shows active investigations…
But isn’t that the whole idea? Ban fossil fuels using one argument. Then ban the manufacture of their replacements using another argument. Then ban the importation of the finished products using still another argument. Eventually we will have nothing and be happy.
Maybe we won’t need lithium: Home – Solid Power (solidpowerbattery.com)
“Lithium is the most critical metal for EVs as it has no commercially available substitute at scale”
IEA Global EV Outlook 2022 ‘Securing supplies for an electric future’
This surely is satire?
Commenters compared MSDS for lithium and sodium chlorides. I went a step further for the MSDS for distilled water.
members.afflink.com › mbrfile › 2370 › Distilled-Water-MSDS52020111325307.pdf
Here is an excerpt:
SECTION 4: First aid measures
Description of first aid measures
After inhalation
Move exposed individual to fresh air
After skin contact
Wash affected area with soap and water
After eye contact
Protect unexposed eye. Rinse/flush exposed eye(s) gently using water. . .
Now we know why Lady Macbeth engaged in obsessive-compulsive hand washing.
,,
I love the boilerplate language of SDS. The water one has always cracked me up (I read these for a living at the University I work at to make sure my researchers don’t do something obviously stupid. Sometimes research PhDs get so tunnel-visioned that they completely lose the ball common-sense wise. Do lovely cutting edge work on medicinal- and bio- chemistry, but will try to store oxidizers next to fuel if you don’t watch them.)
Storehouse of oxidizer component next to fuel source…
Lithium Batteries
Doesn’t this remind you of a snake swallowing itself?
really couldnt make this schist up..so whos got the interests in hydrogen cars? etc i wonder..cos apart from the now oldtech LPG vehicles thats the option left on the board
or
we could just keep using petrol n diesel and be happy, dont scrap many millions of reliable old ICE engines and save gazillions in utter waste.
really THE largest hazard is the greentards in all guises
Green Math: millions of green jobs created because government policy destroyed tens of millions of existing jobs by destroying the usability of existing capital stock and requiring replacements that cost several times more because they employ green technology.
I think you should start a new page or stream dedicated to a foot shooting championship. Because there are just so many examples.
I remember the late Christopher Booker talking about a lime producer here in the UK being threatened with closure because of the wind carrying a small amount of dust over agricultural land what those making these threats didn’t get was that the farmer was buying lime from this company and spreading it over the very same fields?
Bit like child protection legislation requires the keeping of records almost indefinitely but data protection legislation requires that personal information is deleted destroyed after a certain number of years?
James Bull
The psychological benefits of regular doses of lithium are apparently not proving effective.