PhD Studentship: Finding Ways to Reduce Mining impacts on Biodiversity for the Battery Revolution

University of Birmingham - School of Metallurgy & Materials

Please note this project is open to UK applicants only.

Battery manufacturers are at the threshold of producing gigatons of batteries for transport and energy markets around the world, but there are concerns about the new impacts that this will introduce. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) typically require six times as many minerals as their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts, and thus a parallel expansion in mining to meet this demand is expected. The environmental, economic and social impacts of this global expansion are significant and need to be assessed, so that we do not trade one environmental disaster (climate change) for another (ecosystem damage).

A circular economy for EVs, which seeks to recover waste at all stages of the life cycle, has been proposed as a partial solution to curb the need for new extraction activities and their associated impacts. However, there are many questions to be answered, requiring whole systems and life cycle thinking. The long lifespans of BEVs (typically 8-15 years) and uncertainty about where they will end their lives, particularly as the global second-hand market for EVs is growing, results in a lack of clarity about how effective recycling can be at displacing future mining expansion. In addition, waste streams occurring along the battery supply chain, such as mine tailings and overburden, or production scrap, are often not taken into account and, if managed adequately, may be able to delay demand for new extraction. Production efficiencies which minimise material wastage, or simplify recycling, should be identified and factored in.

This multi-disciplinary PhD project aims to provide a clear picture of the landscape of battery manufacturing, waste and end-of-life processing. The project aims are to:

1. Identify waste streams and energy requirements across the lithium-ion battery supply chain, as well as existing and future technologies for recovering these materials for making new batteries.
2. Consider the material and associated energy requirements of competing battery chemistries and how they might alleviate or exacerbate the extraction burden from the most impactful minerals.
3. Define scenarios for future (next 10-30 years) production, recycling and waste management, considering existing and potential future regulations worldwide and considering what is needed to effectively displace new mining expansions.
4. Using these scenarios, develop a model for the emergence of a circular, zero-waste global battery supply chain, defining the timeline for this development and identifying key targets, e.g. % recovery, recycling volumes, etc.
5. Contrast the environmental and economic impacts of the defined scenarios.
6. Identify an optimal pathway for the development of the circular battery economy, defining the production and recycling technologies needed and a realistic timescale for their development.

This PhD studentship is under the supervision of Dr Jacqueline Edge (j.s.edge@bham.ac.uk) and based in the School of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham.

Funding Information

Please note this project is open to UK applicants only. Candidates must have at least a 2(1) in an Engineering or Scientific discipline or a 2(2) plus MSc or equivalent. The successful applicant will receive a tax-free stipend of £20,780 per year, tuition fees are covered. To apply, please first send a CV and cover letter summarising your research interests and suitability for the position to j.s.edge@bham.ac.uk and feel free to get in touch with any queries in advance.