Rare pollution transfer of clean energy

WTO announced the United States, European Union, Japan v. China rare earths , tungsten, molybdenum export management measures related to the case of the panel report , and ruled that China's export restrictions imposed in violation of free trade regulations.

The latest ruling means not only to discuss China since 2005 to implement the rare earth export quota system will face an end , but also triggered a series of issues surrounding rare earths . Regardless of the United States , European Union, Japan, in the case of rare earth export restrictions by limiting the supply of rare earth in China in exchange for other diplomatic achievements , or manipulate international prices of rare earth accusations are true , the domestic rare earth buyers will indeed because of reduced exports of rare earths benefit . In other words, because of the rare earth forced "to export domestic ", the domestic supply increases , prices remain low , resulting in the loss of natural resources caused by over-exploitation , calculate its cost of production in the downstream equipment manufacturers when ignored. While those using rare earth clean energy technologies such as permanent magnet direct drive wind turbines , new energy vehicles , energy storage , and even the promotion of energy-saving LED light bulbs are also worthy of further investigation .

According to the State Council in 2012 released " China 's rare earth situation and policy " white paper , China 's rare earth reserves account for about 23% of the world's total reserves. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance statistics, China in 2013 to provide 120,000 tons of the world's rare earths . Which is mainly used for the number of new energy technologies to reach 30,000 tons .

Wind power on a global scale is regarded as the most mature , but also the lowest cost of electricity generation clean energy technologies. According to the Global Wind Energy Association statistics , in 2013 , global wind power capacity reached 35 GW , which uses the number of permanent-magnet direct-drive wind turbine technology accounted for 25 %, about 4500 units. Each permanent magnet direct drive motors main material NdFeB (NdFdB-Neodymium Iron Boron) requires one ton . From 2014 onwards, the annual global demand for wind power development of rare earth , permanent magnet direct drive wind turbine capacity according to forecasts , will be close to 6,000 tons.

Clean energy demand for rare earths in the same car can not be ignored. In the world of electric car batteries are widely used nickel metal hydride (NiMH - Nickel Metal Hydride, mainly used in hybrid cars ) and adding lithium iron rare earth (Lithium-ion, mainly used in hybrid and pure electric car ) two battery . Take the 2013 global sales of new energy vehicles ( including hybrid and pure electric vehicles ) to calculate the total rare earth use is more than 2000 tons . In addition , the same use of rare earth lithium batteries as the energy storage device , and a fluorescent element LED bulbs used in rare earth mining demand will also increase each year.

Since the implementation of China's rare earth export quotas , foreign enterprises to ensure that his country needs new energy technologies of rare earth , have set up a joint venture in China , together with the exploitation of domestic enterprises , including the United States mining group Molycorp. The rapid development of clean energy to reduce local pollution, but the pollution - excessive exploitation of rare earth remain in the country .

In addition , the domestic in the past five to 10 years time to accelerate the development and utilization of new energy technologies , electric vehicles and battery energy storage development and promotion has not stopped, but are built on the basis of price competition . The average selling price of the domestic wind turbine prices below the international average of 15% to 20 % of domestic electric cars more than 50% of the price even lower than the international level . Able to obtain a price advantage on the premise that the cost advantage , especially the transfer of pollution cost advantage.

In fact China's rare earth export restrictions policy shift from simple production processes . 2012 began to include more competent departments of Commerce, Ministry of Environmental Protection , the Ministry of Industry , etc. are involved in the regulation of rare earth mining and processing order. But so far low inefficient disorderly exploitation of rare earth continues, the individual provinces mined several times more than the approved amount of the reality still exists, causing severe environmental damage.

In order to achieve the goal of reducing air pollution , clean energy can not unilaterally increase the installed capacity from the start, or focus only on the quantity of crude oil has been replaced , but the need to increase R & D investment , particularly from improved resource utilization and resource recycling .


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