sustainability

German chemicals group BASF is expanding its presence in the energy sector, after agreeing to sell lithium-ion and sodium sulfur (NaS) batteries developed by Japan’s NGK Insulators.

BASF New Business (BNB)— a subsidiary of the chemicals group— said on 11 June it had signed a non-exclusive rights agreement to sell NaS batteries through BASF’s international network.

Toyota is teaming up with several Asian battery manufacturers to ensure it has the supplies it needs to ramp up production of electric vehicles, the Japanese car company has confirmed.

Chinese battery and auto makers CATL and BYD are now lined up to work with Toyota—in addition to Japan’s GS Yuasa and Toshiba, Toyota bosses have confirmed.

Experts have warned that producing a new generation of electric vehicles— and supplying the electricity to keep their batteries charged— will add up to costly and “huge implications” for the world’s natural resources.

The UK alone would need just under twice the current annual world cobalt production to meet its EV targets for 2050, according to a letter to government climate change advisers co-authored by the head of earth sciences at the UK’s Natural History Museum, Prof Richard Herrington.

Indian lead producer and recycler Gravita has started commercial production of lead from its new battery scrap recycling plant in Tanzania, East Africa.

The company said its Gravita Tanzania subsidiary has a production capacity of around 3,000 metric tonnes per annum and the facility is the group’s first “export oriented recycling plant” in the country.

An international “technology-neutral” partnership to expand the use of energy storage systems in developing countries has been launched by 30 organisations led by the World Bank.

The Energy Storage Partnership (ESP) aims to “catalyse a new market for batteries”, beyond the current focus on the market to supply electric vehicles, the bank said.