Environmental impacts of lithium supply chains from Australia to China
Lithium (Li) has been widely recognized as an essential metal for clean technologies. However, the environmental impacts and emission reduction pathways of the lithium supply chain have not been clearly investigated, especially between Australia and China, where most lithium ore are mined and produc...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad69ac |
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| _version_ | 1850177006318125056 |
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| author | Yan Feng Peng Wang Wen Li Qian Zhang Wei-Qiang Chen Danyi Feng |
| author_facet | Yan Feng Peng Wang Wen Li Qian Zhang Wei-Qiang Chen Danyi Feng |
| author_sort | Yan Feng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lithium (Li) has been widely recognized as an essential metal for clean technologies. However, the environmental impacts and emission reduction pathways of the lithium supply chain have not been clearly investigated, especially between Australia and China, where most lithium ore are mined and produced. This study analyzed and compared the environmental and human health implications of six key cross-border Li supply chains from Australia to China through material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) methods. Key findings include: (1) approximately 30% of total Li extraction is lost in the beneficiation stage due to low recovery rates; (2) the Cattlin–Yaan routes exhibit superior environmental and human health performances than other routes attributed to lower diesel consumption, reduced electricity use, and a high chemical conversion rate; (3) the Wodgina production routes have a higher carbon footprint mainly due to low ore grade and significant diesel consumption; (4) the dominant environmental implications in the supply chain are associated with refining battery-grade lithium carbonate, driven by energy use (electricity, coal and natural gas), sulfuric acid, soda ash, and sodium hydroxide. In addition, lithium carbonate refining has the highest water consumption. Overall, the analysis highlights opportunities to improve environmental performance, advance data-poor environmental assessments, and provide insights into sustainable Li extraction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-634d79e01fd940fba18eb3cdd108705a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-634d79e01fd940fba18eb3cdd108705a2025-08-20T02:19:07ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262024-01-0119909403510.1088/1748-9326/ad69acEnvironmental impacts of lithium supply chains from Australia to ChinaYan Feng0https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4282-8418Peng Wang1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7170-1494Wen Li2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9224-5042Qian Zhang3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0544-6744Wei-Qiang Chen4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7686-2331Danyi Feng5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2469-8063College of JunCao Science and Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University , Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, People’s Republic of ChinaKey Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, People’s Republic of China; Ganjiang Innovation Academy , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou 341000, People’s Republic of China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of ChinaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne , Melbourne, VIC 3010, AustraliaRobert M. Buchan Department of Mining, Queen’s University , Kingston K7L3N6, CanadaKey Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, Fujian 361021, People’s Republic of China; Ganjiang Innovation Academy , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ganzhou 341000, People’s Republic of China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of ChinaDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison , 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706, United States of AmericaLithium (Li) has been widely recognized as an essential metal for clean technologies. However, the environmental impacts and emission reduction pathways of the lithium supply chain have not been clearly investigated, especially between Australia and China, where most lithium ore are mined and produced. This study analyzed and compared the environmental and human health implications of six key cross-border Li supply chains from Australia to China through material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) methods. Key findings include: (1) approximately 30% of total Li extraction is lost in the beneficiation stage due to low recovery rates; (2) the Cattlin–Yaan routes exhibit superior environmental and human health performances than other routes attributed to lower diesel consumption, reduced electricity use, and a high chemical conversion rate; (3) the Wodgina production routes have a higher carbon footprint mainly due to low ore grade and significant diesel consumption; (4) the dominant environmental implications in the supply chain are associated with refining battery-grade lithium carbonate, driven by energy use (electricity, coal and natural gas), sulfuric acid, soda ash, and sodium hydroxide. In addition, lithium carbonate refining has the highest water consumption. Overall, the analysis highlights opportunities to improve environmental performance, advance data-poor environmental assessments, and provide insights into sustainable Li extraction.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad69aclithiumsupply chainmaterial flow analysislife cycle assessmentenvironmental impact |
| spellingShingle | Yan Feng Peng Wang Wen Li Qian Zhang Wei-Qiang Chen Danyi Feng Environmental impacts of lithium supply chains from Australia to China Environmental Research Letters lithium supply chain material flow analysis life cycle assessment environmental impact |
| title | Environmental impacts of lithium supply chains from Australia to China |
| title_full | Environmental impacts of lithium supply chains from Australia to China |
| title_fullStr | Environmental impacts of lithium supply chains from Australia to China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental impacts of lithium supply chains from Australia to China |
| title_short | Environmental impacts of lithium supply chains from Australia to China |
| title_sort | environmental impacts of lithium supply chains from australia to china |
| topic | lithium supply chain material flow analysis life cycle assessment environmental impact |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad69ac |
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