Blue Battery Metals - A UK Processing Feasibility Study

UKSR设想电动汽车电池的现场到餐桌供应链，其中根据英国许可在国际沃茨的矿藏在海上收集并在英国陆上加工，以提供足够的阴极活性材料，以满足英国电动汽车行业的要求和需求水平。这一愿景是由联合王国与政府现有的合作伙伴关系促成的，该伙伴关系旨在勘探太平洋中含有锰、钴和镍以及铜、钼和稀土元素的多金属结核矿床。该项目的这一部分侧重于英国价值链中的加工环节，作为更广泛的行业资助计划的一部分。项目的主要目标是评估在英国开发和建设一个新型零废物矿物设施的可行性，以加工PMN生产阴极活性材料（镍、钴和锰）的形式和规模能够满足英国电动汽车电池供应链的长期要求。主要关注领域将是：- 确定最佳工艺，以满足英国电动汽车供应链的要求，并最大限度地减少废物-确定英国和其他工艺输出（包括非金属材料）的出口市场-确定最佳选址的主要因素-确定任何潜在的合适英国选址，提出进一步提高适用性的建议，如果没有英国的选择是合适的，则提供替代地点-为项目级投资案例和政府政策提供量化输入。创新有三种形式。首先，由于目前没有能够产生PMN全部价值的工业规模过程，化学过程本身将是新颖的，需要进一步的研究和开发活动，以扩大规模，达到成熟。第二，一个关键的方案目标是“零废物”-也就是说，第三，由英国控制的电动汽车电池原材料供应链，从矿石开采到电池制造，将使英国能够打破对原材料进口的依赖和对地缘政治资源竞争的脆弱性。钴、锰和镍的可预测、低影响、长期供应将降低目前英国电池制造中这些材料的可用性和成本波动的风险，从而在整个英国电动汽车供应链中建立弹性、一致性和价值。此外，它还将为英国创造熟练的工作岗位，并使英国能够从向不断增长的可再生技术市场出口关键金属中获得经济利益。

UKSR envisages a field-to-table supply chain for EV batteries, wherein mineral deposits under UK licence in international waters are collected at sea and processed onshore in the UK to provide sufficient cathode-active materials to meet the requirements and demand level of the UK EV industry. This vision is enabled by an existing UKSR-Government partnership to explore Polymetallic Nodule (PMN) deposits in the Pacific Ocean containing manganese, cobalt and nickel, as well as copper, molybdenum and rare earth elements. This element of the project focuses on the UK processing element of the value chain, as part of a wider industry-funded programme.The key project objectives are to assess the feasibility of developing and building in the UK a novel, zero-waste mineral facility to process PMN to produce cathode active materials (Nickel, Cobalt and Manganese) in a form and at a scale that can meet the long-term requirements of the UK's EV battery supply chain.The main areas of focus will be to:-identify the optimal process to meet the requirements of the UK EV supply chain and minimise waste-identify UK and export markets for other process outputs including non-metal materials-identify principal factors determining optimal site location-identify any potentially suitable UK sites, with recommendations to enhance suitability further, and alternative sites if no UK option is suitable-provide quantified input to programme-level investment case and government policyThe innovation comes in three forms.First, as there is currently no industrial-scale process capable of yielding the full value of PMN, the chemical process itself will be novel and require further research and development activities to scale-up to maturity.Second, a key programme goal is "zero waste" -- that is, full reagent recycling and a commercial use for all products from the process.Third, a UK-controlled EV battery raw material supply chain, from ore extraction to battery manufacturing, will enable the UK to break its dependence on raw material imports and vulnerability to geopolitical competition for resources. A predictable, low-impact, long-term supply of cobalt, manganese and nickel will de-risk the availability and cost fluctuation of these materials currently for battery manufacturing in the UK, thus building resilience, consistency, and value throughout the UK supply chain for electric vehicles. In addition, it will create skilled UK jobs and enable the UK to benefit economically from the export of critical metals to the growing renewable technology market.