General Motors has recently inked a multi-year agreement with Australian mining company Glencore in a bid to secure its supply of cobalt for its electric vehicle batteries.
Under the agreement, the mining giant will be supplying cobalt from their Murrin Murrin site in the north-eastern part of the Goldfields region in Western Australia.
The said cobalt will be used in battery cathodes of GM’s Ultium range including the Cadillac Lyriq, GMC Hummer EV, and the upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV.
According to a press release, this partnership aims to “create strong, sustainable and resilient supply chains through collective industry and multi-stakeholder platforms.”
“GM and our suppliers are building an EV ecosystem that is focused on sourcing critical raw materials in a secure sustainable manner,” said Jeff Morrison, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain.
“Importantly, given the critical role of EVs in reducing the carbon footprint of the transportation sector, this agreement is aligned with our approach to responsible sourcing and supply chain management.”
Meanwhile, Glencore has expressed their delight in this collaboration.
“Future facing commodities like cobalt play a pivotal role in decarbonizing energy consumption and the electric vehicle revolution. Glencore is already a leading producer, recycler and supplier of these commodities, which underpin our own ambition of achieving net zero total emissions by 2050,” said Ash Lazenby, Glencore U.S. Cobalt marketer and trader.
Cobalt is a heat-resistant metal commonly added to lithium battery cathodes to improve the life of EV batteries as well as its energy density.
