Lower-impact lithium extraction cuts process costs
CategoriesSustainable News

Lower-impact lithium extraction cuts process costs

Spotted: Lithium is a vital component in rechargeable batteries, including the batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs). However, the conventional process for extracting the element from its ore involves high levels of dangerous chemicals such as sulphuric acid. These are not only environmentally harmful, but also expensive.

As a more sustainable alternative, Novalith Technologies has developed a process that uses carbonic acid in carbonated water to extract lithium from rocks and clays in the form of lithium carbonate, leaving inert, CO2-infused rock as a by-product. This method, called LiCAL, cuts process costs by 65 per cent and plant costs by 50 per cent, while using 90 per cent less water than conventional processes.

If the energy for Novalith’s extraction process is taken from renewable sources, the overall production can even be made carbon-negative. The company also claims the process can achieve higher recovery rates and can operate at a much faster rate than other extraction methods.

Following seed funding in August 2021, Novalith built an R&D facility in Sydney, Australia, to demonstrate the process across several different ore resources. In April 2023, the company raised AU$23 million (around €13.9 million) in a series A funding round led by Lowercarbon Capital, with participation from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and others. The funding will go towards a new pilot facility in Sydney, and help the company scale and commercialise LiCAL.

With the world’s demand for lithium batteries rising, more and more innovations in the Springwise Library are working to make their production greener. These include a cleaner way to recycle lithium batteries and a lithium extraction technique that uses far less land than conventional methods.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

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A novel design cuts the cost of wind power
CategoriesSustainable News

A novel design cuts the cost of wind power

Spotted: The cost of onshore wind energy has fallen steadily over the last decade. However, wind installations have also steadily increased in size, and while bigger turbines generate more energy, they also make it more difficult to secure public approval and find financing, appropriate sites, and materials. Wind company AirLoom is taking a new approach to address these challenges.

Instead of huge blades on tall towers, AirLoom’s design consists of vertically oriented, 10-metre-long wings attached to a lightweight track. The blades intercept the wind, which propels them down the track, generating power. Supported by 25-metre-tall poles arranged in an oval, the track can range in length from metres to miles, depending on the desired scale.

A key advantage of the design is that it is quieter and lower profile than skyline-dominating turbines, which could help to reduce complaints about local disruption and ruined views. The system is also low-cost and modular, which means it can be deployed at different scales using a standard set of components.

AirLoom recently announced that it has secured $4 million (around €3.7 million) in seed funding. The round was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures fund, which supports new clean technologies, with participation from Lowercarbon Capital and energy fund MCJ Collective. The money will help AirLoom scale up to the megawatt scale and full deployment.

Despite the difficult market for new wind energy projects, a number of innovations seek to make wind power more affordable. These include a low-cost, single-bladed floating turbine and small turbines for powering microgrids.

Written By: Lisa Magloff and Matthew Hempstead

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Heat-emitting ‘wallpaper’ keeps fuel costs down and cuts emissions
CategoriesSustainable News

Heat-emitting ‘wallpaper’ keeps fuel costs down and cuts emissions

Spotted: Rather than huddle around a single point of heat waiting for the entire room to warm up, people can now bask in full room heating supplied by ceiling, wall, and floor panels. Made by startup NexGen, a thin film of graphene uses far infrared rays and convection to project heat. The process distributes warmth evenly throughout a space, thereby using less energy to reach the desired temperature in less time.

The rising costs of living are affecting everyone, with particularly dire effects on those with fixed incomes. The Welsh Government is trialling the graphene heat system in a number of social housing buildings to help reduce the high cost of fuel. Capable of being installed under materials such as plaster, carpet, and vinyl, the graphene films help residents better manage their heat use. For some, heating their entire living space all day is unnecessary, so a room-by-room set-up helps to more efficiently manage expenses by using only what is needed.

Installation requires a few days of work, and the system plugs into traditional electrical sockets. Solar panels and a smart battery further increase the sustainability and affordability of the system. And far infrared rays have also proven beneficial to general health.

Springwise is spotting a number of innovations seeking to make more efficient use of available heat sources, with geothermal panels in underground car parks heating the building above and disused coal mines being used to create regional heat networks.  

Written by: Keely Khoury

Email: info@nexgenheating.com

Website: nexgenheating.com

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