LYTEN AIMS TO SUPPLANT CHINESE BATTERY TECH: At a time when the U.S. and other countries are racing to scale up electric vehicle sales and slash transportation-sector emissions, China holds an undisputed advantage in critical minerals and battery production. It controls vast majorities of mineral supply chains and the manufacturing for Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) and Lithium Ion Phosphate (LFP) batteries, the only EV battery offerings on the market today.
But one upstart, California-based battery materials company, Lyten, is hoping to break that monopoly. The company is pioneering production of the world’s first-ever lithium-sulfur battery: a lower-cost battery with twice the energy density of an NMC. Most importantly, the battery eliminates the need for nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite— allowing the U.S. to source and produce batteries independent of China.
“We’re going right after” China on battery performance, Keith Norman, Lyten’s chief sustainability officer, told the Washington Examiner in an interview. “And we’re not being shy about it.”
This week, Lyten made headlines for announcing it can produce its lithium-sulfur batteries at a more than 90% yield on standard manufacturing lines for lithium ion batteries—a major milestone that will allow gigafactory owners to more rapidly scale up production using the same equipment.
“The only pathway to global leadership is eliminating our dependence on critical minerals [controlled by China], and the current critical mineral supply chain entirely,” Norman told us. “Not replicating it—eliminating it. That’s our move to new ground.”
The timeline: This year, Lyten will begin delivery of its commercial-scale batteries to be used in drones, satellites, and certain defense applications. EV battery production is expected to begin in the second half of the decade, officials said, though Lyten will begin testing its battery in certain pilot EVs as early as 2025, including the Chrysler Halcyon Concept.
The specifics: The composition of the lithium-sulfur battery, which is lighter than LFPs and NMCs by 50%-70%, and carries a higher energy density, also allows it to perform better on range and in cold weather conditions—two of the primary reasons many drivers said they are wary of making the switch to EVs.
The buy-in: Lyten has seen strong interest from the public and private sector. It counts auto giant Stellantis and FedEx among its investors, and in January, the Department of Energy awarded it a $4 million grant to accelerate commercialization of its battery.
Lyten has also been in talks with the Defense Department, which under a new NDAA provision is barred from procuring most Chinese batteries beginning in 2027—sparking what Norman described as a “keen interest” in U.S.-made options to replace them.
The current capabilities that a lithium-sulfur battery would bring to the market is a “leapfrog in technology” that Lyten says solves both the challenge of electrification and materials, which can be readily sourced in the U.S., Europe, and Australia.
Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner Energy and Environment writers Breanne Deppisch (@breannue_dep) and Nancy Vu (@NancyVu99). Email bdeppisch@washingtonexaminer dot com or nancy.vu@washingtonexaminer dot com for tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list.
SHELL PARES BACK NEAR-TERM EMISSIONS STRATEGY: Oil major Shell announced Thursday that it would be amending its carbon emission reduction targets, while maintaining that it still aims to become net-zero by 2050, CNBC reports.
In its latest update, Shell announced it’s now aiming to reduce its net carbon intensity by 15-20% by 2030, down from a previous target of 20%. Shell also dropped its goal of a 45% reduction by 2035, stating that there was “uncertainty in the pace of change in the energy transition.” These targets are measured against a baseline of emissions in 2016.
“Our focus on value has led to a strategic shift in our power business towards select markets and segments,” Shell CEO Wael Sawan said in a statement. “As a result, we expect lower growth in sales of power overall. We have updated our net carbon intensity target to reflect that change.”
Why does this matter? The announcement reflects the company’s move away from investing in renewables back toward focusing on its core business, as Sawan had vowed to prioritize investments into oil and gas to yield more returns to shareholders. But the effort also reflects a pattern among United Kingdom-based oil companies, such as BP, which have been facing pressure from investors to focus more on the petroleum business.
The company also asserted that by the end of last year, Shell had achieved over 60% of its target to cut emissions in half from its operations by 2030, compared with 2016. Read more on that here.
SEC GETS HIT FROM THE LEFT: The Sierra Club and its financial arm are suing the Securities and Exchange Commission over its new climate disclosure rule, arguing that the measure threatens to leave out crucial climate risk intel that would be important to investors, Politico reports.
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, challenges the rule requiring public companies to disclose both Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions – pared back from its original proposal, which also included Scope 3 disclosure requirements. The suit alleges that the new rule won’t be able to provide investors with enough information about companies’ climate vulnerabilities. The groups are being represented by Earthjustice, an environmental law nonprofit.
“We are saying not only does the SEC have the authority to require these types of disclosures, in fact they made a mistake by dropping some very crucial disclosure requirements that were in the proposal — and a mistake that just is fundamentally wrong,” said Hana Vizcarra, senior attorney at Earthjustice.
Why is this important: The SEC is already facing a legal battle over the disclosure rule – but the lawsuit from the Sierra Club marks the first time the body is being hit with a lawsuit from leftist groups for watering down the original proposal. At least four other legal challenges from Republican-led states and industry players have been filed in federal courts across the country. Read more on that here.
NEW BILL ALERT: Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich and Catherine Cortez Masto, along with GOP Sens. James Risch and Mike Lee, have introduced a new geothermal bill aiming to accelerate the approval of projects across the country.
What the bill does: Dubbed the Geothermal Energy Optimization Act, the measure would amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to provide a similar permitting timeline for geothermal projects as oil and gas, and directs the Interior and Agriculture Department to develop a new categorical exclusion for exploratory drilling. The bill would provide additional resources for field offices by creating a Geothermal Ombudsman and Strike Team, which would provide technical assistance and dispute mediation. The measure would also set new lease targets on federal lands, and require the Bureau of Land Management to hold more frequent auctions.
“By breaking down barriers that are preventing companies from fully harnessing the power of geothermal energy, my bipartisan GEO Act builds on the successful efforts our state has advanced to unlock this new, carbon emission-free energy source,” Heinrich said in a written statement.
We’ve covered the different geothermal measures within Congress. Read about it here and here.
FIRST ROUND OF BIDS FOR CITGO NOT LOOKING GOOD: The highest bid received in a court auction of shares of the parent company of Venezuela-owned refiner Citgo Petroleum was $7.3 billion, Reuters scoops – enough to cover only a third of court-approved claims, sources tell the publication.
A federal court in Delaware is auctioning off the shares of a parent company of Citgo, following a lawsuit by Canadian miner Crystallex Corp. that had found the Venezuela-owned company was tied to the South American country’s debts. Creditors have flocked to Delaware to file claims that amounted to $21.3 billion in the case, which began in 2017.
But the poor results suggest that the court may have to revise the sales process, or consider a different plan being drafted by Venezuela that would allow it to retain some stake in the company. Read more on that here.
RUNDOWN
Texas Tribune Neglected and exposed: Toxic air lingers in a Texas Latino community, revealing failures in state’s air monitoring system
E&E News Democrat says green pin ditched by GOP had hidden message
Bloomberg ‘Rebate Aggregators’ Are Cashing in on Home Electrification
This newsletter has been updated to correct references to Nickel Manganese Cobalt, or NMC.
