[Véhicule électrique] la question des métaux rares

[Jeudi]

Niobium: production de 75 kt/an, 2500 kt de réserves.

« Métal rare » est un abus de langage pour « terre rare », un groupe de métaux qui ne sont pas spécialement rares (et encore moins méconnus!) contrairement à ce que dit cet article.

[GillesH38]

euh et si tout le monde se met à l'utiliser pour des batteries électriques, il en faudrait combien de tonnes en circulation ?

[energy_isere]

Echion Technologies on the charge with £29m raise

13 Jun, 2024 Tony Quested

Cambridge battery materials pioneer Echion Technologies has sparked global expansion after raising £29 million in a Series B round.

The company develops niobium-based, fast-charging battery materials. The round was led by specialist battery and energy storage technology investor Volta Energy Technologies with participation from existing investors CBMM, BGF and Cambridge Enterprise Ventures.

The money will enable Echion to execute its go-to-market strategy to see its innovative niobium-based XNO® anode material utilised in real world applications, at volume.

Echion is Volta’s first investment into a European headquartered company and having it as lead Series B backer highlights Echion as a rising British battery technology business within the crucial global energy storage industry.

Echion’s longstanding partnership with the world’s leading producer of niobium, Brazilian company CBMM, will see the opening of a 2,000 tonne per year XNO® manufacturing facility this year.

This provides Echion with the manufacturing capacity to satisfy the large and growing demand for XNO® across its global customer base comprised of major cell manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Jean de La Verpilliere, CEO of Echion Technologies, said: “Our ambition is to deliver the best fast-charging batteries to unlock the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles.

“The investment from our partners Volta Energy Technologies, CBMM, BGF and Cambridge Enterprise Ventures cements our ambition to achieve full-scale commercialisation and full production volume.

“The entire Echion team has worked tirelessly to develop our flagship XNO® material into what it is today and this has enabled us to establish partnerships with many major OEMs and cell manufacturers which have recognised the benefits of our materials.

“I look forward to being able to satisfy their demand for innovative niobium-based anode materials, and to see industrial and commercial applications powered by XNO®.”

Dr Jeff Chamberlain, CEO and Founder of Volta Energy Technologies, said: “We are excited to lead Echion’s Series B and make Volta’s first investment in Europe.

“Echion and their XNO® technology complements our growing portfolio of technologies that address significant market needs through innovations in the supply chains of battery and energy storage technology.

“We believe the power of XNO® can uniquely improve performance, lower cost, and meet the demands of the growing, international markets across mining, logistics, railways, automotive and more.”

https://www.businessweekly.co.uk/posts/ ... s29m-raise

le site de Echion : https://www.echiontech.com/product

[Jeudi]

euh et si tout le monde se met à l'utiliser pour des batteries électriques, il en faudrait combien de tonnes en circulation ?

Zéro si elles n’en utilisent pas, plus que zéro si elles en utilisent.

[GillesH38]

merci et donc

euh et si tout le monde se met à l'utiliser pour des batteries électriques, il en faudrait combien de tonnes en circulation ?

[energy_isere]

Comme Echion a pas communiqué la qté de Niobium nécessaire pour une batterie de disons 80 kW.h , et bien on ne sais pas.

Est ce que le niobium intervient dans une batterie en grande proportion ou juste en tant que ''additif'' ? On ne sais pas.

[energy_isere]

source : https://www.agenceecofin.com/graphite/0 ... -ougandais

[energy_isere]

Nickel overtakes lithium as most valuable EV battery metal as prices slump

Frik Els | July 7, 2025 |

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The value of terminal lithium tonnes deployed in EVs, including plug-in and conventional hybrids, sold around the world from January through May totalled $2.15 billion. Data from Toronto-based research consultants Adamas Intelligence shows the EV battery nickel tally so far this year comes to $2.20 billion.

And that is despite the significant move towards nickel-free batteries such as lithium iron phosphate or LPF and the significant cooling of nickel prices at the same time. LFP batteries are close to representing half of EV battery capacity deployed so far this year from less than 1% share at the beginning of the decade.

https://www.mining.com/nickel-overtakes ... ces-slump/

[energy_isere]

La plus grande usine de production d'aimants en terres rares d'Europe a ouvert en Estonie: elle doit permettre de s'affranchir du quasi-monopole de la Chine dans ce secteur

Helen Chachaty 18 oct 2025 BFM Business

L'implantation d'une usine de fabrication d'aimants en terres rares en Estonie contribue à développer les capacités industrielles européennes en matière d'exploitation, afin de s'affranchir de la mainmise chinoise sur ce secteur.

Elle est située à Narva, au Nord-Est de l'Estonie, à la frontière avec la Russie: la plus grande usine de production d'aimants en terres rares a été inaugurée en septembre, mais elle fonctionne depuis quelques mois déjà. Appartenant à l'industriel canadien Neo Performance Materials et bénéficiant d'un soutien financier de l'Union européenne d'un montant de 14,5 millions d'euros, l'usine va principalement produire des aimants qui serviront dans la fabrication des voitures électriques et des éoliennes.

NPM vise la production de 2.000 tonnes par an dans un premier temps, avec l'objectif d'atteindre 5.000 tonnes annuelles dans la phase suivante. Le concepteur de produits magnétiques à base de terres rares pour les moteurs de véhicules électriques et hybrides indique vouloir s'affranchir des terres rares chinoises pour sécuriser sa chaîne d'approvisionnement.

Selon le Financial Times, qui cite le patron de Neo, s'affranchir complètement des sources chinoises est impossible mais il serait envisageable de produire 30% des aimants hors de Chine. Les matières premières utilisées pour la fabrication des aimants proviendraient notamment de fournisseurs australiens et malaisiens.

Autonomie européenne

Mais surtout, cette usine symbolise la volonté européenne de s'affranchir de sa dépendance vis-à-vis de la Chine, qui dispose d'un quasi-monopole sur le marché et concentre 44 millions de tonnes des réserves mondiales de terres rares (sur environ 110 millions de tonnes au total). Selon les données du Grand Continent citant l'Agence internationale de l'énergie, la Chine comptabilise 60% du minage des terres rares, 91% du raffinage et 94% de la fabrication d'aimants.

Un puissant levier de négociation dans les discussions commerciales, notamment avec les États-Unis et l'Union européenne, alors que la consommation de terres rares devrait augmenter d'environ 8% par an, en raison de la hausse de la production de voitures électriques et hybrides et d'éoliennes, indique le CNRS. L'UE cherche à renforcer son autonomie, un objectif ambitieux de la stratégie de sécurisation des chaînes d'approvisionnement en matériaux critiques – le Raw Material Act, adopté en 2023.

Pression chinoise

Ces derniers mois, la Chine a renforcé les restrictions d'exportation. Elle a mis en œuvre des licences pour certaines exportations dès le mois d'avril et a renforcé ces mesures début octobre, en instaurant de nouveaux contrôles, cette fois-ci sur l'exportation de technologies liées à l'extraction et à la production. Face à ces contraintes, l'UE, par la voix du Commissaire européen au Commerce Maros Sefcovic, annonce vouloir lancer une "réponse coordonnée" avec les pays partenaires du G7.

"Les contrôles injustifiés par la Chine sur les exportations de terres rares constituent une préoccupation majeure. (…) Nous devons également accélérer nos efforts pour réduire au minimum notre dépendance", a déclaré Maros Sefcovic sur X.

https://www.bfmtv.com/economie/entrepri ... 80167.html

[energy_isere]

Terre rares en Malaisie :

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Malaysia is home to ~16.1 million metric tons of rare earth deposits, but currently lacks the technology to mine and process these resources. Last year, Malaysia banned the export of raw, unprocessed rare earth elements in a bid to encourage domestic processing and value-added activities as it looks to develop its downstream sector. Currently, Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths (OTCPK:LYSCF) is the largest REE company operating in Malaysia. Lynas operates a major processing facility in Kuantan that separates rare earth elements for global markets. The company sources rare earth feedstock from its mine in Australia, but also has agreements to explore potential local ionic clay deposits in Malaysia.

extrait de https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-Gene ... -Asia.html

Malaysia's ban on raw rare earths exports remains despite U.S. deal, trade minister says

By Reuters October 29, 2025

Malaysia will maintain a ban on the export of raw rare earths to protect its domestic resources, despite signing a critical minerals deal with the United States this week, the trade minister said on Wednesday.
Speaking in parliament, Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz dismissed allegations that Malaysia will allow the export of critical minerals and rare earths to the United States in pursuit of immediate profits or strategic goals.

"We no longer want to be a country that only digs and ships out cheap raw materials like in the past," Tengku Zafrul said, reiterating that Malaysia will instead encourage foreign investment and technology sharing for the mining and processing of raw rare earths.
"Our policy is not to prevent trade forever," he said. "Our policy is to prevent the export of cheap unprocessed raw materials so that value is added to Malaysia."
Malaysia has some 16.1 million metric tons of rare earth deposits, according to government estimates, but lacks the technology to mine and process them. Rare earth materials are essential for high-tech manufacturing, including electric vehicles, semiconductors and missiles.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-paci ... 20missiles.

Lynas expands Malaysia rare earths hub to fuel global tech growth

29 Oct 2025

Lynas Rare Earths Ltd will increase the processing capacity of heavy rare earths at its Malaysian refinery to meet growing demand for metals used in robotics, advanced technology, and military applications.

In a statement published in Bloomberg, the company — the only supplier of both light and heavy rare earth oxides outside China — said it will construct a new separation facility at its plant.

It will process ore from its Mount Weld mine in Australia as well as other sources in Malaysia.

“Market demand for heavy rare earths is high and Lynas can be selective in where, and at what price, we sell heavy rare earth oxides,” chief executive officer Amanda Lacaze said.

The expansion comes as the US and Europe aim to reduce reliance on China, which dominates the rare earths sector.

Japan, which invested in Lynas after Beijing briefly cut off access to rare earths in 2010, signed a new agreement with the US on Tuesday to cooperate and stockpile metals widely used in products ranging from consumer goods to military equipment.

Lynas said the project will cost around A$180 million (RM497 million), with first production expected in April.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/20 ... hub/196392

[energy_isere]

Washington’s $200 Million Move to Rebuild America’s Rare Earth Supply Chain

By Michael Scott - Oct 30, 2025,

Washington has drawn a new line in the global battle for critical minerals. The U.S. Export-Import Bank has issued a $200 million Letter of Interest to REAlloys Inc., a rare-earth company developing what could become North America’s first fully integrated mine-to-magnet supply chain.

The commitment marks one of the clearest signals yet that the United States intends to rebuild the rare-earth infrastructure that China has dominated for a generation.

REAlloys, now completing its merger with Blackboxstocks (NASDAQ: BLBX), plans to link every phase of the rare-earth process under one continental framework: mining at Hoidas Lake in Saskatchewan, processing at the Saskatchewan Research Council’s new separation facility, and magnet manufacturing in Euclid, Ohio.

...............

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-Gene ... Chain.html