Sustainability Assessments of Battery Supply Chains Methodological Contributions and Application of Environmental. Footprint and Raw Material Criticality

Abstract

The transition towards electrification, mainly through adopting electric vehicles (EVs) and electrical storage systems, is pivotal to global decarbonization endeavors. Projections indicate a massive growth in lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion batteries) production capacity, expected to reach 9 TWh by 2035. This projection reflects compound annual growth rates of approximately 22% compared to the 2022 base year. However, such exponential growth in Li-ion battery demand underscores the imminent challenge of securing an adequate supply of sustainable raw materials. The success of Li-ion battery deployment hinges significantly on effective raw material supply management, entailing upholding the environment and promoting proper supply chain due diligence. This thesis combines environmental footprint and raw material criticality assessment to contribute to the ongoing research and policy frameworks on enhancing genuine sustainability in the battery raw materials supply chain. The environmental footprint is assessed by integrating the conventional life cycle assessment (LCA) framework with process parameters along the raw materials supply chain. This integration results in a high-resolution and dynamic parametric LCA model. This parametric LCA model captures how changes in process parameters affect emissions in raw material supply, providing increased resolution and harnessing variability in supply chain impacts. This approach offers improved insights compared to conventional commercial life cycle databases. Furthermore, by coupling this parametric LCA model of raw materials with a cell manufacturing model, this thesis illustrates the significance of raw materials in shaping expectations towards producing cells with ambitiously low greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Raw material criticality considers geopolitical, resource concentration, and social indicators of the raw materials supply chain. The thesis shows that continuous improvements and technology development can be shaped and guided by examining variations in these criticality indicators across different battery chemistries. Moreover, this thesis suggests a methodology and breadth of comparison required to evaluate criticality indicators as a measure of responsible sourcing. This is crucial for integrating supply chain due diligence in battery raw material supply chains. The thesis underscores the importance of adopting a proactive approach to responsible sourcing, advocating for the identification of strengths and weaknesses of available options and collaborative efforts between trading and sourcing partners to address weaknesses effectively. In totality, this thesis emphasizes the complexity of raw material supply chains as the bottleneck to achieving genuine sustainability in Li-ion batteries. It offers contributions and insights to guide policymakers, technology developers, and researchers in making informed decisions and fostering collaboration toward realizing genuinely sustainable Li-ion batteries.