Innovation
About Us
This is not just about us. This is about everybody. We, at MBVM Ultra Energy, are just the agents of change whose mission it is to create a truly Circular Economy.
We’re doing our part by extracting Rare Earth metals such as Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel and Manganese from used Lithium-ion cells. The result of this is that these precious Rare Earth metals can go back into manufacturing Lithium-ion batteries. Circularity, remember?
What is circularity?
Circularity is a simple concept. It means that a product is created with its own end-of-life taken into account. In a Circular Economy, once the user is finished with the product, it goes back into the supply chain instead of the landfill. The motto of the Circularity movement, in a nutshell is ‘use, recycle, reuse’.
Immediate problems
You may wonder why we go through such great lengths to extract these metals from end-of-cycle Lithium-ion batteries when these batteries are easily imported. The answers may astound you.
Manufacturing Constraints
Lithium-ion battery cells are manufactured in a very small number of countries around the world since the Rare Earth Metals required to make them are produced and traded within a fundamentally protectionist system globally. The price of importing these metals is so high that it is far more viable to import the batteries directly. This means that most of the world imports its Lithium-ion cells, mainly from a handful of cell-producing countries. In manufacturing processes, constraints are often referred to as bottlenecks.
Dependence on Mining
Rare Earth metals that go into Lithium-ion batteries such as Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel and Manganese have traditionally been produced as a result of mining. Aside from the inevitable environmental damage that mining does, some of the countries in which these mines are have lax and under-enforced mining laws which leads to various socio-economic problems as well as parallel economies. Mining is very vital to the production of goods, services and infrastructure; it advances the quality of lives in the society.
Demand for Consumer Technology
The consumer technology industry has a large part to play in this as well. As of 2022, the global demand for energy storage in Lithium-ion batteries stands at 400 GWh. By 2030, this is set to conservatively escalate 5x to 2000 GWh, with electric vehicles (EVs) being the largest drivers of demand.Recycling of consumer electronics—including smartphones, televisions, and computers—generally involves separating high-value metals from plastics and other low-value materials.
The state of Affairs
We live in the most unusual times – unusual because of constant disruption and the consequent opportunities that arise from continuous transformation. Every status quo gives a new generation something to prove – to leave their mark. The world is constantly re-imagining business models, designs, competition, as indeed our markets. All of this at an unprecedented rate.
There are several hundred questions finally being put to the conspicuous consumption of energy and resources with no regard for the future. Unfortunately, there are only two solutions to this ever-worsening problem:
