UMthetho woKuncitshiswa kweNgqesho (i-IRA), osayinwe nguMongameli uJoe Biden ngomhla we-15 kweyeThupha, uqulathe ngaphezulu kwe-$369 yeebhiliyoni kwizibonelelo ezijolise ekulweni notshintsho lwemozulu kwiminyaka elishumi ezayo. Uninzi lwephakheji yemozulu yimbuyekezo yerhafu karhulumente ukuya kuthi ga kwi-$7,500 ekuthengweni kwezithuthi ezahlukeneyo zombane, kuquka nezo zisetyenzisiweyo ezenziwe eMntla Melika.
Umahluko ophambili kwiinkuthazo ze-EV zangaphambili kukuba ukuze zifanelekele ukufumana ikhredithi yerhafu, ii-EV zexesha elizayo aziyi kufuneka zihlanganiswe eMntla Melika kuphela, kodwa zenziwe ngeebhetri eziveliswe ngaphakathi okanye kumazwe orhwebo olukhululekileyo. Izivumelwano ne-US ezifana neKhanada neMexico. Lo mthetho mtsha ujoliswe ekukhuthazeni abenzi bezithuthi zombane ukuba batshintshe imixokelelwane yabo yokubonelela ukusuka kumazwe asaphuhlayo ukuya e-US, kodwa abantu abangaphakathi kushishino bayazibuza ukuba olu tshintsho luya kwenzeka kwiminyaka embalwa ezayo, njengoko ulawulo luthemba, okanye akunjalo konke konke.
I-IRA ibeka imiqathango kwiinkalo ezimbini zeebhetri zezithuthi zombane: izinto zazo, ezifana nezinto ezisebenzayo zebhetri kunye ne-electrode, kunye neeminerali ezisetyenziselwa ukwenza ezo zinto.
Ukususela kunyaka ozayo, ii-EV ezifanelekileyo ziya kufuna ubuncinane isiqingatha sezixhobo zazo zebhetri ukuba zenziwe eMntla Melika, apho ama-40% ezixhobo zebhetri zivela eMelika okanye kumaqabane ayo orhwebo. Ngowama-2028, ipesenti encinci efunekayo iya kunyuka unyaka nonyaka ukuya kuma-80% kwizixhobo zebhetri kunye ne-100% kwizixhobo.
Abanye abenzi beemoto, kuquka iTesla kunye neGeneral Motors, baqalise ukuphuhlisa iibhetri zabo kwiifektri eMelika naseKhanada. Umzekelo, iTesla yenza uhlobo olutsha lwebhetri kwisityalo sayo saseNevada ekufuneka sibe noluhlu olude kunezo zingeniswe eJapan ngoku. Olu dibaniso oluthe nkqo lunokunceda abavelisi bezithuthi zombane ukuba baphumelele uvavanyo lwebhetri ye-IRA. Kodwa ingxaki yokwenyani kukuba inkampani ifumana phi izinto ezisetyenzisiweyo zeebhetri.
Iibhetri zezithuthi zombane zihlala zenziwe nge-nickel, i-cobalt kunye ne-manganese (izinto ezintathu eziphambili ze-cathode), i-graphite (i-anode), i-lithium kunye ne-copper. Eyaziwa ngokuba "ziisithandathu ezinkulu" zoshishino lweebhetri, ukwembiwa kunye nokucutshungulwa kwezi zimbiwa kulawulwa kakhulu yiTshayina, ulawulo lukaBiden oluchaze "njengento yangaphandle exhalabisayo." Nasiphi na isithuthi sombane esenziwe emva kowama-2025 esiqulethe izinto ezivela eTshayina asiyi kukhutshwa kwikhredithi yerhafu karhulumente, ngokutsho kwe-IRA. Umthetho udwelisa izimbiwa zebhetri ezingaphezu kwama-30 ezihlangabezana neemfuno zepesenti yemveliso.
Iinkampani zikarhulumente zaseTshayina zinama-80 ekhulwini emisebenzi yokucubungula i-cobalt kwihlabathi liphela kunye nama-90 ekhulwini eefektri zokucoca i-nickel, i-manganese kunye ne-graphite. “Ukuba uthenga iibhetri kwiinkampani zaseJapan naseMzantsi Korea, njengoko uninzi lwabenzi beemoto lusenza, kukho ithuba elihle lokuba iibhetri zakho ziqulethe izinto eziphinda zisetyenziswe eTshayina,” utshilo uTrent Mell, umphathi omkhulu we-Electra Battery Materials, inkampani yaseKhanada ethengisa izinto zehlabathi ze-cobalt ecutshungulweyo. Umenzi wezithuthi zombane.
“Abenzi beemoto banokufuna ukwenza izithuthi zombane ezingaphezulu zifaneleke kwityala lerhafu. Kodwa baza kubafumana phi ababoneleli beebhetri abafanelekileyo? Okwangoku, abenzi beemoto abanalo ukhetho,” utshilo uLewis Black, i-CEO ye-Almonty Industries. Le nkampani ngomnye wababoneleli abaninzi ngaphandle kweTshayina be-tungsten, enye iminerali esetyenziswa kwii-anodes kunye nee-cathodes zeebhetri zezithuthi zombane ngaphandle kweTshayina, utshilo inkampani. (ITshayina ilawula ngaphezulu kwe-80% yobonelelo lwe-tungsten kwihlabathi). Iimigodi kunye neenkqubo ze-Almonty eSpain, ePortugal naseMzantsi Korea.
Ulawulo lweTshayina kwizinto ezisetyenzisiweyo zebhetri lubangelwe yiminyaka emininzi yemigaqo-nkqubo karhulumente enobundlongondlongo kunye notyalo-mali – ukuthandabuza kwabaNtsundu kunokuphindaphindwa lula kumazwe aseNtshona.
“Kwiminyaka engama-30 edlulileyo, iTshayina iphuhlise uthotho lokubonelela ngezinto ezisetyenzisiweyo zebhetri olusebenza kakuhle kakhulu,” utshilo uBlack. “Kwiimeko zoqoqosho zaseNtshona, ukuvula umzi-mveliso omtsha wemigodi okanye wokucoca ioyile kungathatha iminyaka esibhozo nangaphezulu.”
UMell we-Electra Battery Materials uthe inkampani yakhe, eyayisaziwa ngokuba yiCobalt First, yeyona nkampani ivelisa i-cobalt kuphela eMntla Melika kwiibhetri zezithuthi zombane. Le nkampani ifumana i-cobalt eluhlaza evela kwimayini yase-Idaho kwaye yakha indawo yokuhluza e-Ontario, eKhanada, ekulindeleke ukuba iqale ukusebenza ekuqaleni kuka-2023. I-Electra yakha indawo yesibini yokuhluza i-nickel kwiphondo laseKhanada eQuebec.
“UMntla Melika awunawo amandla okuphinda usebenzise izixhobo zebhetri. Kodwa ndikholelwa ukuba lo mthetho uza kukhuthaza utyalo-mali olutsha kwikhonkco lokubonelela ngeebhetri,” utshilo uMeyer.
Siyaqonda ukuba uthanda ukulawula amava akho e-intanethi. Kodwa ingeniso yentengiso inceda ekuxhaseni ubuntatheli bethu. Ukuze ufunde ibali lethu elipheleleyo, nceda ucime i-ad blocker yakho. Naluphi na uncedo luya kuxatyiswa kakhulu.
Ixesha lokuthumela: Agasti-31-2022
