President Joe Biden announced $2.8 billion in grants for 20 companies to produce batteries for electric vehicles in the United States.
The grants are being allocated through the Department of Energy with funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to companies in 12 states. The funding will go toward the creation of battery-grade materials including lithium, graphite and nickel.
“The Infrastructure Law also invests in people and companies that are going to build our future like electric vehicles and the advanced batteries that are going to power those vehicles,” Biden said. “This is critically important because the future of vehicles is electric, but the battery is a key part of that electric vehicle and right now 75% of that battery manufacturing is done in China.
“China’s battery technology is not more innovative than anyone else’s,” Biden said. “In fact, our national labs, our research universities, our automakers led the development of this technology here in America, but by undercutting US manufacturers with their unfair subsidies and trade practices, China seized a significant part of the market.”
Biden said the United States is experiencing “one of the most significant economic transitions since the Industrial Revolution.”
In addition to the grants, Biden announced the creation of a new American Battery Manufacturing Initiative which will allow for a full government approach to produce batteries for uses ranging from electric vehicles and homes to defense purposes, the White House says. The move will continue the push to increase American competitiveness by creating more batteries and critical battery components in the U.S.
Albanian Minerals CEO Sahit Muja said,” USA was slow to discover how geopolitically disruptive the revolution in battery technology could become. Now, however, President Biden has identified batteries as the heart of the ongoing green revolution . Batteries , storage technologies are playing a strategic role in the world’s transition to clean mobility and energy systems”.
This battery breakthrough broadens the horizons of developing post-lithium-ion batteries. The novel innovation is a rechargeable aqueous battery comprising a magnesium metal anode which, when tested, has demonstrated excellent rechargeability and performance.
Professor Dennis Leung, the leader of the research from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at HKU, commented: “With a high theoretical capacity and negative electrochemical potential, magnesium is an attractive anode material. Magnesium is also non-toxic and Earth-abundant.”
Professor Leung said: “It would make a promising candidate for low-cost and sustainable batteries if we can unlock the potential of aqueous Mg batteries.”
PhD Kee Wah Leong commented: “Using the novel water-in-salt electrolyte, the original passivation film can be converted into a conductive metallic oxide layer, providing ionic pathways for rechargeable battery operations.”
“The battery serves as a proof-of-concept and demonstrates for the first time the long-term cyclability of an aqueous magnesium metal battery,” concluded Leung.
Albanian Minerals CEO Sahit Muja in New York said Magnesium is building blocks for the future. Albanian Minerals is working with the best scientist’s teams globally to utilize over 100 billion tons of green high quality magnesium, the world’s largest magnesium resource. This is great news in battery industry”.
“The magnificent Magnesium is revolutionizing entire industries with unmatched strong and light alloys. The aerospace industry has a long history of using magnesium in many applications both civil and military , in the manufacture of aircraft, rockets, and space satellites.
Magnesium is an ideal material : The weight reduction of all industrial products is of high importance, magnesium alloys are the lightest structural alloys” Sahit Muja said.
Sahit Muja added that; Substantial investments are expected on green batteries, energy storage, auto and mobility market ,wind power, solar, hydro power and green hydrogen on a scale that we have never seen before huge demand for metals and minerals used in hose industries are expected on this green transition. Albanian Minerals mission is to create a better green future for all the people in this world. As we pursue this mission, we’re guided by our principles that ensure to make this world a better place for future generations to come.
