Battery Ethics

Batteries and conscience: A dilemma? It depends on the chemistry!

Battery Ethics
Cobalt, as a component of modern lithium batteries, for example, is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo under conditions that are internationally criticized, Photo: YouTube.

Modern lithium-ion batteries often contain cobalt as one of the key components. However, this raw material is often mined under more than questionable working conditions in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. These batteries can be found in many electric vehicles, mobile phones, cameras, watches, and other electronics that are used in our daily lives.

The origin of this raw material and the impact of its extraction are often a controversial topic and pose a societal problem.

On the other hand, PetaJoule battery systems use lithium-iron-phosphate cells, which do not contain cobalt. This not only brings technical advantages such as longer lifespan, higher safety and better performance, but also the societal advantage that no critical or controversial raw materials are used.