Rare Metal Discovery Gives China a Boost

Chinese scientists recently unearthed a rare ore, and the discovery could give China a boost in the electric vehicle industry.

Global leaders have put more focus on the green energy transition as climate change worsens throughout the world. President Joe Biden has outlined an aggressive green energy transition plan in the Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to make America a world leader in low-carbon technology.

However, China has already secured the lion's share of the world's supplies and metals needed for the energy revolution, including the materials used in solar panels and powering electric vehicles.

The discovery of the ore, called niobobaotite, could further China's lead, as the rare ore is composed of niobium, barium, titanium, iron and chloride, according to a report by Live Science.

Niobium is beneficial for certain materials used in green energy products like electric vehicle batteries, and research is ongoing on how to use the metal with other materials to improve batteries.

The rare metal is often used to produce steel, as it can increase strength without drastically increasing its weight, according to the report. Researchers found the ore in Baotou in northern China on October 3.

Given that niobium is a superconductor, it can be used with other materials like lithium and graphene to improve batteries. When used with lithium, niobium batteries charge more quickly and also have a lower risk of fires. When used with graphene, the niobium batteries can last up to 30 years, which is 10 times longer than lithium-ion batteries which dominate the market.

Electric vehicles run on batteries that use lithium, cobalt and other minerals and metals. China has strengthened its relations with African leaders over the past decade and currently dominates the electric vehicle sector as it has obtained many of the vital resources needed for the green energy transition. In addition to importing the metals, China was also importing most of its niobium, which is prevalent in Brazil and Canada.

However, the recent discovery by Chinese scientists could make China self-sufficient in the metal, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

Jackson Ewing, the director of energy and climate policy at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, previously told Newsweek that China refines more than half of the lithium, cobalt and rare earth in the world. Domestic access to niobium could further improve its thriving electric vehicle sector.

"They are deeply entrenched in the supply chains coming out of Africa and beyond to secure those raw materials and are processing them. China processes about 75 percent of all lithium-ion batteries," Ewing said. "At present they are dominating the electric vehicle sector."

Newsweek reached out to Ewing by email for comment.