UMthetho Wokunciphisa Ukwehla Kwentengo (i-IRA), osayinwe waba ngumthetho nguMongameli uJoe Biden ngo-Agasti 15, uqukethe izinto ezingaphezu kuka-$369 billion ezihloselwe ukulwa nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu eminyakeni eyishumi ezayo. Ingxenye enkulu yephakheji yesimo sezulu isaphulelo sentela sikahulumeni esifinyelela ku-$7,500 ekuthengweni kwezimoto zikagesi ezahlukahlukene, kufaka phakathi ezisetshenzisiwe ezenziwe eNyakatho Melika.
Umehluko oyinhloko kusuka ezikhuthazweni ze-EV zangaphambilini ukuthi ukuze ufanelekele ukuthola isikweletu sentela, ama-EV esikhathi esizayo ngeke nje kuphela ahlanganiswe eNyakatho Melika, kodwa futhi akhiwe ngamabhethri akhiqizwa ngaphakathi ezweni noma emazweni okuhweba ngokukhululekile. Izivumelwano ne-US njengeCanada neMexico. Umthetho omusha uhlose ukukhuthaza abenzi bezimoto zikagesi ukuthi bashintshe izintambo zabo zokuphakelwa zisuka emazweni asathuthuka ziye e-US, kodwa abantu abangaphakathi embonini bayazibuza ukuthi ngabe ushintsho luzokwenzeka yini eminyakeni embalwa ezayo, njengoba uhulumeni ethemba, noma cha nhlobo.
I-IRA ibeka imikhawulo ezicini ezimbili zamabhethri ezimoto zikagesi: izingxenye zawo, njengezinto ezisebenzayo zebhethri kanye ne-electrode, kanye namaminerali asetshenziswa ukukhiqiza lezo zingxenye.
Kusukela ngonyaka ozayo, ama-EV afanelekayo azodinga okungenani ingxenye yezingxenye zawo zebhethri ukuthi zenziwe eNyakatho Melika, kanti u-40% wezinto zokusetshenziswa zebhethri zivela e-US noma kubalingani bayo bezohwebo. Ngo-2028, iphesenti elincane elidingekayo lizokhula unyaka nonyaka libe ngu-80% wezinto zokusetshenziswa zebhethri kanye no-100% wezingxenye.
Abanye abakhiqizi bezimoto, okuhlanganisa iTesla neGeneral Motors, sebeqalile ukuthuthukisa amabhethri abo emafektri e-US naseCanada. Isibonelo, iTesla yenza uhlobo olusha lwebhethri esitshalweni sayo saseNevada okufanele lube nobubanzi obude kunalawo angeniswa eJapane njengamanje. Lokhu kuhlanganiswa okuqondile kungasiza abakhiqizi bezimoto zikagesi ukuthi baphumelele ukuhlolwa kwebhethri le-IRA. Kodwa inkinga yangempela ukuthi inkampani ithola kuphi izinto zokusetshenziswa zamabhethri.
Amabhethri ezimoto zikagesi ngokuvamile enziwa nge-nickel, i-cobalt kanye ne-manganese (izinto ezintathu eziyinhloko ze-cathode), i-graphite (i-anode), i-lithium kanye nethusi. Eyaziwa ngokuthi “izinkampani eziyisithupha ezinkulu” embonini yamabhethri, ukumbiwa kanye nokucutshungulwa kwalezi zimbiwa kulawulwa kakhulu yiShayina, uhulumeni kaBiden ayichaze “njengenhlangano yangaphandle ekhathazekile.” Noma iyiphi imoto kagesi ekhiqizwe ngemva kuka-2025 equkethe izinto ezivela eShayina izokhishwa kwisikweletu sentela sikahulumeni, ngokusho kwe-IRA. Umthetho ubala amaminerali ebhethri angaphezu kuka-30 ahlangabezana nezidingo zephesenti lokukhiqiza.
Izinkampani zikahulumeni zaseShayina zinamaphesenti angaba ngu-80 emisebenzi yokucubungula i-cobalt emhlabeni kanye namaphesenti angaphezu kwangu-90 ezindawo zokuhlanza i-nickel, i-manganese kanye ne-graphite. “Uma uthenga amabhethri ezinkampanini zaseJapane naseNingizimu Korea, njengoba kwenza abakhiqizi bezimoto abaningi, kungenzeka ukuthi amabhethri akho aqukethe izinto eziphinde zasetshenziswa eShayina,” kusho uTrent Mell, isikhulu esiphezulu se-Electra Battery Materials, inkampani yaseCanada ethengisa izimpahla zomhlaba wonke ze-cobalt ecutshunguliwe.
“Abenzi bezimoto bangase bafune ukwenza izimoto zikagesi ezengeziwe zifanelekele isikweletu sentela. Kodwa bazowatholaphi abahlinzeki bamabhethri abafanelekayo? Njengamanje, abenzi bezimoto abanakho ukukhetha,” kusho uLewis Black, i-CEO ye-Almonty Industries. Le nkampani ingenye yabahlinzeki abaningana ngaphandle kweShayina be-tungsten, enye iminerali esetshenziswa kuma-anode nama-cathode amabhethri ezimoto zikagesi ngaphandle kweShayina, kusho inkampani. (IShayina ilawula ukunikezwa kwe-tungsten okungaphezu kuka-80% emhlabeni). Izimayini nezinqubo ze-Almonty eSpain, ePortugal naseNingizimu Korea.
Ukubusa kweShayina ezintweni zokusetshenziswa kwebhethri kuwumphumela wamashumi eminyaka enqubomgomo kahulumeni enobudlova kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali - ukungabaza kwabamnyama kungaphindwa kalula emazweni aseNtshonalanga.
“Eminyakeni engama-30 edlule, iShayina ithuthukise uchungechunge lokuhlinzekwa kwezinto zokusetshenziswa kwebhethri olusebenza kahle kakhulu,” kusho uBlack. “Eminothweni yaseNtshonalanga, ukuvula indawo entsha yokumba noma yokuhluza uwoyela kungathatha iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili noma ngaphezulu.”
UMell we-Electra Battery Materials uthe inkampani yakhe, eyayaziwa ngokuthi iCobalt First, iyona kuphela ekhiqiza i-cobalt eNyakatho Melika yamabhethri ezimoto zikagesi. Le nkampani ithola i-cobalt eluhlaza emayini yase-Idaho futhi yakha indawo yokuhluza e-Ontario, eCanada, okulindeleke ukuthi iqale ukusebenza ekuqaleni kuka-2023. I-Electra yakha indawo yesibili yokuhluza i-nickel esifundazweni saseCanada iQuebec.
"INyakatho Melika ayinawo amandla okusebenzisa kabusha izinto zamabhethri. Kodwa ngikholwa ukuthi lo mthethosivivinywa uzokhuthaza umjikelezo omusha wokutshalwa kwezimali ochungechungeni lokuhlinzekwa kwamabhethri," kusho uMeyer.
Siyaqonda ukuthi uthanda ukulawula ulwazi lwakho lwe-inthanethi. Kodwa imali engenayo yokukhangisa iyasiza ekusekeleni ubuntatheli bethu. Ukuze ufunde indaba yethu ephelele, sicela ukhubaze i-ad blocker yakho. Noma yiluphi usizo luzokwaziswa kakhulu.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Agasti-31-2022
