NaturalRadical ✌🏻May 10, 2023
You had me at “acid-leaching technology” 😳 #nickel #mining #pollution #EV
“This technology, using acid under conditions of intense heat and pressure to remove nickel from raw ore, has never been tested before in Indonesia, where the frequency of earthquakes, heavy rainfall and landslides can make it especially treacherous to transport and store hazardous waste. The process poses steep environmental costs ”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2023/ev-nickel-refinery-dangers/
To mine EV minerals, industry turns to dangerous refinery technology

Indonesia is richly endowed with nickel, but refining it for electric vehicle batteries poses a daunting environmental challenge.

The Washington Post
Show threadRichard KnottMay 11, 2023
@NaturalRadical only 2% of nickle currently mined is used on batteries, and even then mostly for other electronic devices. Obviously extraction should be done as environmentally friendly as possible, but even with the increased use of EVs it’s a tiny increase compared to other usages.
Show threadNaturalRadical ✌🏻
@richardknott thanks for that info. The waste from Acid leaching of any mined material is a problem. Often there is a disregard for proper disposal and monitoring. And then there’s the cobalt mining in the Congo. As we expand our use of batteries and other electronics the need for mining of various minerals increases.
May 11, 2023 at 4:15amWeb
Show threadRichard KnottMay 11, 2023
@NaturalRadical yep, nothing is for free. More colbalt is used for refining oil than EV batteries (and cobalt is being removed from batteries, plus batteries are recyclable) and 40% of the world shipping is used for the transportation of oil. More certainly needs to be done with what’s happening in Congo, but any company selling products in the UK and EU must comply with anti slavery laws, including EV and oil companies, so must ensure its not coming from those awful mines.