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Pollution and climate change are key drivers for the global adoption of
clean renewable energy – solar, wind and tidal – but the high cost of solar
installations and the lack of economically efficient storage batteries has
held back widespread adoption of clean renewable energy.
Climate change
In the past million years, the Earth has experienced a major ice age about
every 100,000 years.
This temporary
reprieve from the ice we are now experiencing is called an
interglacial period - the respite from the cold locker began as the earth
started heating up and warming its way out of the Pleistocene Ice Age (began
about 1.8 million years ago and lasted until about 11,700 years ago). At one
point during the Pleistocene Ice Age vast incredibly thick sheets of ice
stretched over Greenland, Canada and parts of the northern United States.
The close of the Pleistocene Ice Age started when a shift in sunlight
caused a slight rise in temperature - this raised gas levels over the next
few hundred years and the resultant greenhouse effect drove the planet's temperature
higher, which drives a further rise in the gas levels and so on. The exact
opposite happens when sunlight weakens, we get a shift from emission to
absorption of gases which causes a further fall in temperature... and so
forth.
According to NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), the
average global temperature on Earth has increased by about 0.8° Celsius (1.4°
Fahrenheit) since 1880.
 
Small rises or falls in temperature - more, or less sunlight
- causes a rise, or fall, in gas levels. Changing atmospheric CO2
and methane levels physically linked the Northern and Southern hemispheres,
warming or cooling the planet as a whole.
Many scientists say it's very likely that most of the warming since the
mid-1900s is because our burning of fossil fuels for energy production and
transportation adds heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the air.
Climate models predict that Earth's average temperature will keep rising.
Consequences
According to science the world is going to continue to get warmer, polar
ice caps will melt, so will the Greenland ice sheet and most glaciers. More
sunlight will be absorbed by the Earth’s oceans, causing increased
evaporation. Water vapor is a greenhouse gas and amplifies twofold the
effects of other greenhouse gases. With Earth’s ice gone there will be
significantly less sunlight reflected back into space, vast expanses of
Arctic tundra will thaw releasing unbelievable amounts of methane, a
greenhouse gas twenty times more potent then CO2.
The polar jet stream has already been altered, wide swinging north-south
deviations (meanders) have become the norm – deviating far from its normal
path and meandering north into Canada, the jet stream brings warm air while
dipping far south over Europe, the polar jet stream brings record cold and
snow.
Ocean currents will be altered further impacting our climate and sea
levels will rise. Freshwater aquifers will suffer from saltwater intrusion,
once habitable zones will become uninhabitable.
Because of increased average global temperatures the tropical rain belt
will have widened considerably and the subtropical dry zones will have pushed
pole-ward, crawling deep into regions such as the American Southwest and
southern Australia, which will be increasingly susceptible to prolonged and
intense droughts.
A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded
that climate change will amplify extreme heat, heavy precipitation, and the
highest wind speeds of tropical storms. Extreme weather events are going to
happen with increasing frequency, the climate for the area you live in is, if
it hasn’t started already, going to change. We are all watching and
experiencing these events and changes in real time because changes that use
to take tens and tens of thousands of years are now happening in decades.
Earth's average temperature is expected to continue to rise even if the
amount of human caused greenhouse gases in the atmosphere decreases. But the
rise would be less than if greenhouse gas amounts remain the same or
increases.
Solar good news
Vov.com
The average price of a solar module was $76.67/watt in 1977, $4 per watt
in 2008, $0.74/watt in 2013 and according to PVinsights $0.49/watt on July
15, 2016.
Oxford University researchers say solar’s share of global electricity will
grow from roughly 1.5% today, to as much as 20% by 2027.
The U.S. solar industry expects to have installed 14.5 gigawatts of solar
power in 2016, a 94% increase over the record 7.5 gigawatts in 2015.
For the first time, more solar systems came online in 2016 than natural
gas power plants - the top source of electricity in the US in 2015 - as
measured in megawatts
Solar capacity is irrefutably going up, and prices are collapsing.
Wind good news
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says technological advancements are
expected to continue reducing the cost of wind energy. Surveyed experts
anticipate minimum wind energy cost reductions of 24% with 30% reductions
possible by 2030, and 35% to 41% by 2050 due to larger and more efficient
wind turbines, lower capital and operating costs, and other advancements.
The capacity-weighted average installed project costwas $1,690/kW,
down $640/kW or 27% from average reported costs in 2009 and 2010.
Efficient storage batteries
You can't control the supply of solar, or wind. Sometimes it's cloudy or
it's nighttime, sometimes the wind isn’t blowing. Other times conditions are
excellent, the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. There has to be a way
of balancing renewable energy output.
“One of the distinctive characteristics of the electric power sector
is that the amount of electricity that can be generated is relatively fixed
over short periods of time, although demand for electricity fluctuates
throughout the day. Developing technology to store electrical energy so it
can be available to meet demand whenever needed would represent a major
breakthrough in electricity distribution. Helping to try and meet this goal,
electricity storage devices can manage the amount of power required to supply
customers at times when need is greatest, which is during peak load. These
devices can also help make renewable energy, whose power output cannot be
controlled by grid operators, smooth and dispatchable.” ENERGY.GOV
Electric vehicles
Electric vehicles (EVs) have far fewer moving parts than Internal
Combustion Engine (ICE) gasoline-powered cars - they don't have mufflers, gas
tanks, catalytic converters or ignition systems, there’s also never an oil
change or tune-up to worry about getting done.
Electric drives are more efficient then the drives on ICE powered cars. They
are able to convert more of the available energy to propel the car therefore
using less energy to go the same distance. EVs convert about 59%–62% of electrical
energy, ICE vehicles convert about 17%–21% of the energy stored in gasoline
to power at the wheels. And applying the brakes in an EV converts what was
wasted energy in the form of heat to useful energy in the form of electricity
to help recharge the car’s batteries.
But the real story behind all electric vehicles is that they are totally
emission free.
If all that sounds too good to be true that’s because it is. EVs face
significant battery-related challenges:
- Driving range is typically limited to 60 to 120 miles on
a full charge although a few models can go 200 to 300 miles.
- Fully recharging the battery pack can take 4 to 8 hours.
Even a "fast charge" to 80% capacity can take 30 min.
- Besides being heavy and taking up a lot of space battery
packs are expensive and may need to be replaced one or more times.
The missing link
Unlike other forms of energy, electricity cannot be easily stored in large
quantities. The one thing holding EV’s, solar and other renewable energy
sources from complete widespread adoption is a lack of energy storage.
The ability to store large amounts of electricity over longer periods of
time can be beneficial in the following ways:
- With new more cost-effective energy storage technologies
electricity could be captured and dispatched to the grid whenever
required
- Brings added stability to the electricity system by
smoothing out fluctuations in solar and wind resources output
- Temporarily absorbs surges and excess power flow eases
points of congestion in transmission and distribution networks
- Absorbs surplus base load generation when the output is
higher than minimum demands
I wrote the following early in 2009;
“Lithium battery technology is absolutely critical to President
Obama’s energy plan. Lithium-ion is the leading battery technology and a
hugely important first step towards transforming electric cars from a niche
curiosity into a major clean energy revolution for the transportation sector.
Lithium batteries could be part of the answer to increasingly
expensive oil, energy dependence on foreign suppliers and global warming.
Now, with the big push to renewable energy and far less reliance on fossil
fuels, a market is starting to develop in the United States for more advanced
batteries.”
Electrolytic manganese
The US government has classified manganese as a strategic metal. This is
not hard to understand when manganese has no substitute metals in its many
steel applications and has itself (EMM) become a substitute for other more
expensive metals in certain alloys.
Electrolytic manganese metal (EMM) is a refined manganese product produced
through electrolysis of a manganese rich solution. Today there are no
domestic suppliers of electrolytic manganese metal (EMM) in North America and
China controls 97% of the world trade in EMM.
Various refined forms of manganese such as EMD (electrolytic manganese
dioxide) can be made from the same circuits and process as electrolytic
manganese metal. EMD is a key ingredient in the production of batteries,
including conventional alkaline cells and lithium-ion batteries. The USA is
the largest consumer of EMD worldwide.
Battery consumption of Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide (EMD) has been
predicted to be the fastest growing segment of manganese production with a
CAGR of 5.1% from 2015 to 2022. EMD demand will rise in lockstep with the
rise in the use rechargeable batteries used to power consumer electronics,
electric and hybrid electric vehicles and the energy storage systems that
store electricity harvested from clean energy produced by solar, wind and
tidal systems.
Grand View Research
Another application for EMD is in electrodes for water treatment plants as
it separates out the waste from the water. A growing water treatment
industry, particularly in Asia Pacific, is anticipated to drive demand over
the foreseeable future.
Both Canada and the United States have numerous and vast iron ore
deposits, yet neither country produces manganese.
Fact - Manganese is a strategic mineral essential for the economy and
defense of the United States.
Fact - Manganese cannot be sourced in adequate quantities from reliable
and secure domestic suppliers.
Fact - There is no substitute for manganese, as a matter of fact manganese
has itself become a substitute in certain alloy applications.
Manganese X Energy Corp.
Energy storage is the last vital piece, the still missing third link
needed to wean the global economy off fossil fuels and enable widespread
adoption of renewable clean energy.
 Manganeseis
NOT mined in North America despite being considered a
strategic/critical metal by the U.S. (for over a 100 years) and despite being
seen as the potential star of new energy storage technology. There is
no North American security of supply for this energy critical metal.
Manganese X Energy Corp. (TSXV: MN) (FSE: 9SC2) (OTC: SNCGF) has
recognized this and is seeking to create a secure North American source of
concentrated manganese ore while striving to achieve green/zero emissions
processing.
The company has signed an agreement with Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc.
to investigate all options of enhancing manganese for the purposes of
Lithium-ion battery use to maximize the added value potential of the
Company's Battery Hill manganese property. Manganese X has also assembled a
very strong Technical and Marketing Advisory Board focused on the energy
storage market.
Battery Hill
Manganese X Energy Corp.’s Battery Hill property (Globex Mining’s
Houlton Woodstock Manganese Property) is approximately 6 km long on a
north-south axis and approximately 1.7 km wide, east-west. The property
(Exploration Licence 5816) is located beside the hamlet of Jacksonville and 5
km northwest of Woodstock, New Brunswick.
Three main historic manganese carbonate zones plus at least two additional
showings identified in historic exploration are located on MN’s Battery Hill
property (these are all historical figures and are not 43-101 compliant):
- The Moody Hill zone with the potential to contain an
estimated 10,000,000 tons (9,072,000 tonnes)
- The Sharpe Farm zone with the potential to contain
8,000,000 tons (7,257,000 tonnes)
- The Iron Ore Hill zone with the potential to contain
25,000,000 tons (22,680,000 tonnes)
These three zones have a range of grades from 7.5% to 10% Mn carbonate
with an overall estimated average grade of 9% Mn carbonate.
Further showings of manganese carbonate have been identified on MN’s
Battery Hill property north of the Iron Ore Hill occurrence. The Maple Hill
showing is reported to have grades of 6.97% manganese carbonate and the
Wakefield showing, at the far northern end of licence 5816, is reported to
have yielded 8.86% manganese carbonate in sampling.
Manganese X optioned the Battery Hill property in June, 2016 from project
generator, Globex Mining (TSX: GMX). MN may acquire 100% interest in the
property from Globex Mining, subject to a 3% Gross Metal Royalty, by:
- Over a two-year period, making $200,000 in cash payments
($100,000 already paid)
- Issuing 4,000,000 post-consolidation shares (2,000,000
obligatory)
- Undertaking an aggregate of at least $1mn in exploration
expenditures
- Delivering a Preliminary Economic Assessment to Globex
Mining on or before the fourth anniversary of the option agreement
Manganese X is moving quickly. On Dec. 21, the company announced that it
completed its initial diamond drill program. The drilling program consisted
of 16 holes totaling 3,589 meters, and was completed as an initial test of
three primary areas on the property, the Iron Ore Hill, Sharpe Farm and Moody
Hill manganese carbonate occurrences. The drill targets were based on the
results derived from gravity and magnetometer surveys completed in October,
2016.
A second drill program, for which the company is financed, will be needed
to complete a 43-101 compliant resource report.
Conclusion
The main issue with renewable energy is its fleeting nature. When the wind
is blowing or the sun is shining, the electricity that is produced must
either be used or lost. On the other hand, when it’s cloudy or the wind isn’t
blowing, power may not be available to meet demand. Energy storage addresses
this problem by capturing excess energy during productive times and releasing
it during leaner times.
Widespread adoption of clean renewable energy has been held back because
of two major factors: the high cost of solar installations and the lack of
economically efficient storage batteries. Solar and wind costs have fallen
drastically. Because 52% of battery cost is in raw materials, using manganese
can significantly bring down the manufacturing cost of lithium ion batteries
– nickel and cobalt are much more expensive then manganese.
China controls the electrolytic manganese metal market. North America
currently has zero domestic mines producing manganese.
According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, energy storage is the last vital piece,
the missing link needed to wean the global economy off fossil fuels and
enable widespread adoption of renewable clean energy and electric cars.
But to get there we need a long term 'domestic' supply chain of manganese
– from mine to battery – our supply of EMM and more advanced products such as
EMD can no longer be based on the goodwill of China.
Manganese X Energy Corp. (TSX.V – MN) has identified a niche in supplying
a strategic and energy critical mineral to help solve the last piece of the
puzzle presented by renewable energy’s electrification of transportation and
power generation systems.
And for that reason Manganese X Energy Corp., and it’s Battery hill
manganese project, should be on all our radar screens. Is MN on your screen?
If not, it should be.
aheadoftheherd.com
Richard lives with his family on a 160 acre ranch in northern British
Columbia. He invests in the resource and biotechnology/pharmaceutical sectors
and is the owner of aheadoftheherd.com.
***
Legal Notice / Disclaimer
This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or
the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment.
Richard Mills has based this document on information obtained from sources
he believes to be reliable but which has not been independently verified.
Richard Mills makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts
no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness.
Expressions of opinion are those of Richard Mills only and are subject to
change without notice.
Richard Mills assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current
relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within
this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon
any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission.
Furthermore, I, Richard Mills, assume no liability for any direct or
indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may
incur as a result of the use and existence of the information provided within
this Report.
Richard owns shares of Manganese X Energy Corp. (TSX.V – MN). Manganese X
Energy is an advertiser on Richard’s site – aheadoftheherd.com.
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