The energy revolution is coming, and it's all hands on deck. Amplifying the expertise of the leaders in the new energy economy and inviting diverse voices to the table, we'll talk solar power, battery storage and battery alternatives, microgrids, renewable energy, distributed energy architectures, energy policy, energy equity, and all things energy. I'm your host, Amy Simpkins, renewable energy CEO (and Rocket Scientist) and I am passionate about creating sustainable change. I believe that access to electricity is no longer a luxury -- it's a human right. I'm driven by the desire to leave this world better than I found it. I believe in the power of collaboration -- that innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum. And innovation is the only way our planet will survive. Recent natural disaster events impacting access to power, like the Texas Power Crisis during the winter storms of 2021 or the raging California wildfires of 2018-2020, combined with concern over anticipated future events, like a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake in Oregon, have elevated conversations about resilience, independence, and sustainability to new, more urgent heights...
https://www.amysimpkins.com/powerflowpodcast/
episode 2: 3.02 On the Sustainable Future of Lithium with Ali Haji
In this episode, Amy and Ali discuss lithium mining and how it affects the clean energy future.
Ali Haji is the CEO of ION Energy - a leader in the exploration and development of lithium salars within Mongolia and a strong pioneer in the third wave of the green energy revolution.
Together, Ali and Amy explore the split between mobility/electric vehicles and stationary batteries, the supply and demand of minerals (including the rising cost of lithium and the importance of recycling) as well as lithium extraction technology, and lithium vs other chemistries, like vanadium oxide, in addition to how much the grid can actually support.
According to Ali, “Batteries, in essence, are going to fuel the growth of everything.”
*A correction: The Mercedes car mentioned got 1000 km (621 miles) on a single charge, not 1000 miles.
Quotes
“We need to bring more resources online to help fuel this electrification.” – Ali Haji
“Ultimately with today’s prices, it’s clear and evident there is a massive supply chain gap that needs to be filled in order for us to carry on down this path of the clean energy revolution.” – Ali Haji
“Education is paramount. People don’t realize the importance of mining and what it’s doing to allow us to move towards this revolution. It’s an integral part of essentially everything we do, yet as far as I can remember, no one in school ever learned about mining.” – Ali Haji
“Moving into a future where we can view mining through an environmental lens and an ethical lens is going to be important in the future.” – Amy Simpkins
“Mining is a big part of everything that we do, whether we like it or not, but the best way to move forward is to educate people on its importance, but also ensure that we’re doing it sustainably.” – Ali Haji
“The fact that people are starting to think about where their energy comes from, where the equipment is coming from, where the raw materials that goes into that equipment is coming from signals a positive shift and makes me, in spite of all evidence, optimistic.” – Amy Simpkins
About/Connect
Ali Haji is the CEO of ION Energy - a leader in the exploration and development of lithium salars within Mongolia and a strong pioneer in the third wave of the green energy revolution. Since 2019 the company has been aggressively growing its assets in its extensive growth strategy through acquiring new resources and sites.
Website: https://www.ionenergy.ca/
You can connect with Ion Energy on Youtube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!