Blue Battery Metals - A UK Processing Feasibility Study

UKSR设想了一条电动汽车电池从现场到餐桌的供应链，其中在英国许可的国际水域的矿藏在海上收集，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。这一愿景是通过现有的uksr与政府合作伙伴关系来实现的，该合作伙伴关系旨在探索太平洋中含有锰，钴和镍以及铜，钼和稀土元素的多金属结核（PMN）矿床。该项目的这一要素侧重于英国价值链的加工要素，作为更广泛的行业资助计划的一部分。该项目的主要目标是评估在英国开发和建造一种新型的零废物矿物设施的可行性，该设施用于处理PMN以生产阴极活性材料（镍，钴和锰），其形式和规模可以满足英国电动汽车电池供应链的长期要求。主要关注的领域将是：-确定满足英国电动汽车供应链要求的最佳工艺，并最大限度地减少浪费-确定包括非金属材料在内的其他工艺产出的英国和出口市场-确定决定最佳选址的主要因素-确定任何潜在的合适的英国选址，并提出进一步提高适用性的建议。如果在英国没有合适的选择，则提供备选地点——为项目层面的投资案例和政府政策提供量化的投入。首先，由于目前没有工业规模的工艺能够产生PMN的全部价值，化学工艺本身将是新颖的，需要进一步的研究和发展活动，以扩大到成熟。其次，一个关键的项目目标是“零浪费”——即完全回收试剂，并将该过程中的所有产品用于商业用途。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，将使英国摆脱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，它将为英国创造熟练的就业机会，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.