[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1011},["ShallowReactive",2],{"ticker-data":3,"story-article/future-city-2030":550},[4,52,82,112,148,186,229,261,297,336,378,419,460,490,520],{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":8,"today":9,"last":10,"percentageChange":11,"yearToDate":12,"yearOnYear":13,"oneYearIndexTrend":14,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-10-14","2wk","Updated every 2 weeks","Lithium",317.07,322.34,-1.64,35.66,90.62,[15,16,18,21,24,27,30,33,36,39,42,45],{"date":5,"value":9},{"date":17,"value":10},"2026-09-30",{"date":19,"value":20},"2026-09-16",354.99,{"date":22,"value":23},"2026-09-02",385.07,{"date":25,"value":26},"2026-08-19",372.67,{"date":28,"value":29},"2026-08-05",367.54,{"date":31,"value":32},"2026-07-22",388.26,{"date":34,"value":35},"2026-07-08",399.4,{"date":37,"value":38},"2026-06-24",410.62,{"date":40,"value":41},"2026-06-10",427.77,{"date":43,"value":44},"2026-05-27",449.85,{"date":46,"value":47},"2026-05-13",451.12,"/lithium/prices",null,false,true,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":53,"today":54,"last":55,"percentageChange":56,"yearToDate":57,"yearOnYear":58,"oneYearIndexTrend":59,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Carbonate",256.83,278.71,-7.85,1.12,46.89,[60,61,62,64,66,68,70,72,74,76,78,80],{"date":5,"value":54},{"date":17,"value":55},{"date":19,"value":63},300.39,{"date":22,"value":65},306.07,{"date":25,"value":67},297.22,{"date":28,"value":69},296.63,{"date":31,"value":71},309.38,{"date":34,"value":73},317.2,{"date":37,"value":75},330.54,{"date":40,"value":77},346.5,{"date":43,"value":79},358.35,{"date":46,"value":81},350.28,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":83,"today":84,"last":85,"percentageChange":86,"yearToDate":87,"yearOnYear":88,"oneYearIndexTrend":89,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Hydroxide",292.05,311.1,-6.12,43.7,92,[90,91,92,94,96,98,100,102,104,106,108,110],{"date":5,"value":84},{"date":17,"value":85},{"date":19,"value":93},339.85,{"date":22,"value":95},352.45,{"date":25,"value":97},341.12,{"date":28,"value":99},337.87,{"date":31,"value":101},354.36,{"date":34,"value":103},364.06,{"date":37,"value":105},376.67,{"date":40,"value":107},393.29,{"date":43,"value":109},411.01,{"date":46,"value":111},408.51,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":113,"updateFrequencyText":114,"label":115,"today":116,"last":117,"percentageChange":118,"yearToDate":119,"yearOnYear":120,"oneYearIndexTrend":121,"url":147,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"1wk","Updated every week","Cobalt",171.41,173.83,-1.39,-27.13,-1.06,[122,123,125,126,129,131,133,136,138,141,142,145],{"date":5,"value":116},{"date":124,"value":117},"2026-10-07",{"date":17,"value":117},{"date":127,"value":128},"2026-09-23",175.44,{"date":19,"value":130},178.66,{"date":22,"value":132},189.92,{"date":134,"value":135},"2026-08-26",192.6,{"date":25,"value":137},199.83,{"date":139,"value":140},"2026-08-12",217.25,{"date":28,"value":140},{"date":143,"value":144},"2026-07-29",221.25,{"date":31,"value":146},224.44,"/cobalt/prices",{"publishedDate":149,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":150,"today":151,"last":152,"percentageChange":153,"yearToDate":154,"yearOnYear":155,"oneYearIndexTrend":156,"url":185,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-10-21","Nickel",107.13,114.04,-6.06,-11.27,-0.65,[157,158,159,161,164,166,168,170,173,176,179,182],{"date":149,"value":151},{"date":124,"value":152},{"date":127,"value":160},116.1,{"date":162,"value":163},"2026-09-09",119.13,{"date":134,"value":165},119.61,{"date":139,"value":167},121.04,{"date":143,"value":169},121.19,{"date":171,"value":172},"2026-07-15",122.66,{"date":174,"value":175},"2026-07-01",125.61,{"date":177,"value":178},"2026-06-17",131.5,{"date":180,"value":181},"2026-06-03",134.65,{"date":183,"value":184},"2026-05-20",135.83,"/nickel/prices",{"publishedDate":17,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":189,"today":190,"last":191,"percentageChange":192,"yearToDate":193,"yearOnYear":194,"oneYearIndexTrend":195,"url":228,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"1mo","Updated every month","Natural Graphite",78.45,80.18,-2.16,-3.84,-4.03,[196,197,199,202,205,208,211,214,217,220,223,226],{"date":17,"value":190},{"date":198,"value":191},"2026-08-28",{"date":200,"value":201},"2026-07-31",80.66,{"date":203,"value":204},"2026-06-30",82.87,{"date":206,"value":207},"2026-05-29",82.99,{"date":209,"value":210},"2026-04-30",82.93,{"date":212,"value":213},"2026-03-31",82.39,{"date":215,"value":216},"2026-02-27",81.92,{"date":218,"value":219},"2026-01-30",81.69,{"date":221,"value":222},"2025-12-31",81.58,{"date":224,"value":225},"2025-11-28",81.35,{"date":227,"value":225},"2025-10-31","/natural-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":17,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":230,"today":231,"last":232,"percentageChange":233,"yearToDate":234,"yearOnYear":235,"oneYearIndexTrend":236,"url":260,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Anode Coke",86.15,81.86,5.24,15.73,19.78,[237,238,239,241,242,244,246,248,250,252,254,257],{"date":17,"value":231},{"date":200,"value":232},{"date":203,"value":240},80.54,{"date":206,"value":240},{"date":209,"value":243},84.01,{"date":212,"value":245},79.79,{"date":215,"value":247},75.72,{"date":218,"value":249},74.61,{"date":221,"value":251},74.44,{"date":227,"value":253},72.75,{"date":255,"value":256},"2025-09-30",71.92,{"date":258,"value":259},"2025-08-29",71.46,"/synthetic-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":262,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":263,"today":264,"last":265,"percentageChange":266,"yearToDate":267,"yearOnYear":268,"oneYearIndexTrend":269,"url":296,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-10-15","Anode",80.45,80.24,0.27,1.81,3.2,[270,271,273,275,276,278,281,284,287,289,291,293],{"date":262,"value":264},{"date":272,"value":265},"2026-09-15",{"date":274,"value":265},"2026-08-17",{"date":171,"value":265},{"date":277,"value":265},"2026-06-15",{"date":279,"value":280},"2026-05-15",79.16,{"date":282,"value":283},"2026-04-15",81.98,{"date":285,"value":286},"2026-03-16",79.03,{"date":288,"value":286},"2026-02-16",{"date":290,"value":286},"2026-01-15",{"date":292,"value":286},"2025-12-15",{"date":294,"value":295},"2025-11-17",77.79,"/anode/prices",{"publishedDate":298,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":299,"today":300,"last":301,"percentageChange":302,"yearToDate":303,"yearOnYear":304,"oneYearIndexTrend":305,"url":335,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-08-01","Cathode",73.32,77.21,-5.04,14.41,55.07,[306,307,308,311,314,317,320,323,325,327,329,332],{"date":298,"value":300},{"date":174,"value":301},{"date":309,"value":310},"2026-06-01",80.32,{"date":312,"value":313},"2026-05-01",81.71,{"date":315,"value":316},"2026-04-01",77.27,{"date":318,"value":319},"2026-03-01",81.99,{"date":321,"value":322},"2026-02-01",80.5,{"date":290,"value":324},72.79,{"date":292,"value":326},64.08,{"date":294,"value":328},62.01,{"date":330,"value":331},"2025-10-15",53.51,{"date":333,"value":334},"2025-09-15",49.5,"/cathode/prices",{"publishedDate":337,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":338,"today":339,"last":340,"percentageChange":341,"yearToDate":342,"yearOnYear":343,"oneYearIndexTrend":344,"url":377,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2025-03-31","Lithium ion Batteries",74.53,71.3,4.53,-1.6,-20.88,[345,346,348,351,354,357,360,363,366,368,371,374],{"date":337,"value":339},{"date":347,"value":340},"2025-02-28",{"date":349,"value":350},"2025-01-31",71.45,{"date":352,"value":353},"2024-12-31",75.74,{"date":355,"value":356},"2024-11-29",76.98,{"date":358,"value":359},"2024-10-31",77.34,{"date":361,"value":362},"2024-09-30",77.43,{"date":364,"value":365},"2024-08-30",80.56,{"date":367,"value":207},"2024-07-31",{"date":369,"value":370},"2024-06-28",87.2,{"date":372,"value":373},"2024-05-31",90.7,{"date":375,"value":376},"2024-04-30",93.2,"/battery-gigafactory/prices",{"publishedDate":379,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":380,"today":381,"last":382,"percentageChange":383,"yearToDate":384,"yearOnYear":385,"oneYearIndexTrend":386,"url":418,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-10-08","Black Mass",37.11,38.95,-4.72,-14,18.31,[387,388,390,393,396,399,402,405,408,411,414,416],{"date":379,"value":381},{"date":389,"value":382},"2026-09-24",{"date":391,"value":392},"2026-09-10",42.03,{"date":394,"value":395},"2026-08-27",43.88,{"date":397,"value":398},"2026-08-13",42.33,{"date":400,"value":401},"2026-07-30",43.42,{"date":403,"value":404},"2026-07-16",46.74,{"date":406,"value":407},"2026-07-02",46.01,{"date":409,"value":410},"2026-06-18",49.57,{"date":412,"value":413},"2026-02-12",47.34,{"date":415,"value":410},"2026-01-29",{"date":290,"value":417},43.15,"/recycling/black-mass-prices",{"publishedDate":262,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":420,"today":421,"last":422,"percentageChange":423,"yearToDate":424,"yearOnYear":425,"oneYearIndexTrend":426,"url":459,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Rare Earths",172.08,171.72,0.21,20.59,30.21,[427,428,430,433,436,439,442,445,448,451,454,457],{"date":262,"value":421},{"date":429,"value":422},"2026-10-01",{"date":431,"value":432},"2026-09-03",170.83,{"date":434,"value":435},"2026-08-20",169.63,{"date":437,"value":438},"2026-08-06",172.28,{"date":440,"value":441},"2026-07-23",173.94,{"date":443,"value":444},"2026-07-09",171.69,{"date":446,"value":447},"2026-06-25",168.55,{"date":449,"value":450},"2026-06-11",165,{"date":452,"value":453},"2026-05-28",163.89,{"date":455,"value":456},"2026-05-14",172.63,{"date":209,"value":458},175.6,"/rare-earths/prices",{"publishedDate":198,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":461,"today":462,"last":463,"percentageChange":464,"yearToDate":465,"yearOnYear":466,"oneYearIndexTrend":467,"url":377,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM Mid-Nickel",152.7,162.48,-6.02,17.38,53.11,[468,469,470,472,474,476,478,480,482,484,486,488],{"date":198,"value":462},{"date":200,"value":463},{"date":203,"value":471},171.08,{"date":206,"value":473},173.65,{"date":209,"value":475},164.53,{"date":212,"value":477},157.28,{"date":215,"value":479},151.44,{"date":218,"value":481},144.5,{"date":221,"value":483},130.09,{"date":224,"value":485},124.6,{"date":227,"value":487},122.35,{"date":255,"value":489},103.5,{"publishedDate":198,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":491,"today":492,"last":493,"percentageChange":494,"yearToDate":495,"yearOnYear":496,"oneYearIndexTrend":497,"url":377,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM High-Nickel",144.45,149.67,-3.49,26.69,49.06,[498,499,500,502,504,506,508,510,512,514,516,518],{"date":198,"value":492},{"date":200,"value":493},{"date":203,"value":501},157.37,{"date":206,"value":503},160,{"date":209,"value":505},149.53,{"date":212,"value":507},141.97,{"date":215,"value":509},136.99,{"date":218,"value":511},129.81,{"date":221,"value":513},114.02,{"date":224,"value":515},109.17,{"date":227,"value":517},109.02,{"date":255,"value":519},99.44,{"publishedDate":198,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":521,"today":522,"last":523,"percentageChange":524,"yearToDate":525,"yearOnYear":526,"oneYearIndexTrend":527,"url":377,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"LFP",229.17,218.34,4.96,49.35,83.44,[528,529,530,532,534,536,538,540,542,544,546,548],{"date":198,"value":522},{"date":200,"value":523},{"date":203,"value":531},239.1,{"date":206,"value":533},258.32,{"date":209,"value":535},239.37,{"date":212,"value":537},213.01,{"date":215,"value":539},204.49,{"date":218,"value":541},218.06,{"date":221,"value":543},153.45,{"date":224,"value":545},134.02,{"date":227,"value":547},118.22,{"date":255,"value":549},111.93,{"id":551,"uuid":552,"name":553,"slug":554,"full_slug":555,"content":556,"relatedArticles":1009,"relatedVideos":1010},112474841133446,"472e9830-ae9e-40d9-8827-69079a52cd76","Future City 2030","future-city-2030","article/future-city-2030",{"_uid":557,"date":558,"tags":559,"editor":560,"content":570,"excerpt":987,"featured":50,"reporter":988,"_editable":992,"component":993,"seo_title":553,"categories":994,"visibility":1001,"author_company":49,"featured_image":1002,"seo_description":987,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":1007,"formattedArticleDate":1008},"a68c7a2f-1a86-406a-b878-33c3c53891b3","2017-01-26 00:00",[],[561],{"slug":562,"name":563,"content":564},"didi-bostock","Didi Bostock",{"job_title":565,"image":566,"bio":568,"linkedin":569},"Editor - Energy Transition & Economics",{"filename":567},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/2c5ca5c1a3/didi-bostock.jpeg","Didi is the Energy Transition & Economics Editor at Benchmark, covering a broad range of markets across the energy transition. His remit spans from downstream sectors such as BESS and EVs, through to midstream such as new technologies and battery production, to upstream critical minerals mining. He also leads on financial analysis across these supply chains, alongside in-depth policy analysis.\n","https://www.linkedin.com/in/didi-bostock-656342198/",{"type":571,"content":572},"doc",[573,580,585,590,595,600,605,610,615,618,623,628,631,636,641,646,651,656,661,666,669,674,679,684,689,694,699,704,709,714,719,724,727,732,737,742,747,752,757,762,765,770,775,780,785,790,795,800,803,808,813,818,823,828,833,838,843,848,853,858,863,866,871,876,881,886,891,896,901,906,911,916,921,926,931,936,941,946,949,954,959,964,969,974,979,984],{"type":574,"attrs":575,"content":576},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[577],{"text":578,"type":579},"The fourth industrial revolution has arrived just as the planet urgently needs to decarbonise in the face of climate change. A city’s ability to cope and thrive in the years ahead will depend on meeting the challenges this presents – to embed renewables, to rethink transport and to grow sustainably ","text",{"type":574,"attrs":581,"content":582},{"textAlign":49},[583],{"text":584,"type":579},"by Simon Rees",{"type":574,"attrs":586,"content":587},{"textAlign":49},[588],{"text":589,"type":579},"One thing about the future is certain: life for most people is going to be urban; the number of people living in cities is already nearing 4 billion and will continue to climb, according to the United Nations (UN).",{"type":574,"attrs":591,"content":592},{"textAlign":49},[593],{"text":594,"type":579},"The global population is expected to hit 8.5 billion by 2030, with the greatest pressures falling on cities that face waves of inward and external migration, combined with high birth rates among first-generation urbanites. This often leads to slums, overburdened infrastructure, sweatshop conditions and unchecked pollution, all of which needs to be viewed through the prism of climate change, one of humanity’s greatest threats.",{"type":574,"attrs":596,"content":597},{"textAlign":49},[598],{"text":599,"type":579},"The UN estimates cities now account for around 70% of greenhouse gases produced and a warming planet will have to cope with greater weather disruption and the potential for more ecological disasters. Action is being taken in earnest and October’s UN Habitat III conference on urbanisation in Quito, Ecuador, sought to engage the most pressing concerns and build on the results of the UN Climate Change Conference held in Paris in late 2015.",{"type":574,"attrs":601,"content":602},{"textAlign":49},[603],{"text":604,"type":579},"The driving force to ensure necessary change takes place will come from the middle classes, particularly the developing world’s new wealthy. “Take China; the country has created the miracle of a growing middle class but these people are now saying: ‘We appreciate what we’ve got, but we don’t want things to stop there’,” Richard Spencer, president and CEO of U3O8 Corp., a Canada-headquartered uranium project developer, told Benchmark.",{"type":574,"attrs":606,"content":607},{"textAlign":49},[608],{"text":609,"type":579},"However, it is important to note that growth for all is not guaranteed as global competition speeds up and businesses relocate with greater ease. Cities like Detroit or Buffalo in the USA’s northern “Rust Belt” are harbingers of a future other urban zones might face.",{"type":574,"attrs":611,"content":612},{"textAlign":49},[613],{"text":614,"type":579},"Millions of jobs could also become less important or obsolete as the Internet of Things (IOT), smart computing and intelligent apps perform tasks that used to involve hundreds of hands. This “Uberisation” effect is already shaking up the services sector.",{"type":574,"attrs":616,"content":617},{"textAlign":49},[],{"type":574,"attrs":619,"content":620},{"textAlign":49},[621],{"text":622,"type":579},"The global population will stand at 8.5bn by 2030, with most people living in urban environments. How cities tackle their growth sustainably, while harnessing the power of new technologies, will determine their economic and environmental viability in an increasingly competitive world",{"type":624,"attrs":625,"content":627},"heading",{"level":626,"textAlign":49},3,[],{"type":624,"attrs":629,"content":630},{"level":626,"textAlign":49},[],{"type":624,"attrs":632,"content":633},{"level":626,"textAlign":49},[634],{"text":635,"type":579},"Here comes the sun",{"type":574,"attrs":637,"content":638},{"textAlign":49},[639],{"text":640,"type":579},"If climate change is Public Enemy No.1, then technologies that alleviate it – or at least reduce its contributory factors – will be front and centre of most national, regional and civic policies.",{"type":574,"attrs":642,"content":643},{"textAlign":49},[644],{"text":645,"type":579},"First and foremost that means up-to-date legislation and various government agencies being empowered to assist or enforce relevant policies. This is often easier said than done as many developing countries lack the required expertise. Even developed nations can struggle as arguments erupt over the pace and depth of change.",{"type":574,"attrs":647,"content":648},{"textAlign":49},[649],{"text":650,"type":579},"For example, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan unveiled with great fanfare in 2015 was stayed by the Supreme Court in February. The USA also wants a greater level of renewables and the SunShot initiative under the auspices of the US Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) – itself within the Department of Energy – is playing an important role in this. Launched in 2011, it seeks to reduce solar’s cost against conventional energy.",{"type":574,"attrs":652,"content":653},{"textAlign":49},[654],{"text":655,"type":579},"“SunShot’s goal is to make solar cost competitive without subsidies by 2020 and our target is $0.6 per kilowatt hour,” the acting deputy director of the EERE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office Rebecca Jones-Albertus told Benchmark. “The progress has been amazing,” she added. “Less than a tenth of a percent of US electricity was supplied by solar in 2010. We’ve seen it grow by ten times that in the past five years, with solar now making up roughly 1% of US electricity penetration.” Albeit with some subsidies and relief packages, solar is now price competitive in 14 US states.",{"type":574,"attrs":657,"content":658},{"textAlign":49},[659],{"text":660,"type":579},"That includes California, Hawaii, Minnesota and Texas, while more than 200,000 jobs are tied to the technology. “Looking beyond 2020 – if we can accelerate innovation – we foresee solar making up a much larger fraction of our electricity supply,” Jones-Albertus said. While many southern regions in the USA are ideal for solar, northern areas will also witness greater deployment. “Germany is currently getting 7-8% of its electricity generation from solar,” she noted.",{"type":574,"attrs":662,"content":663},{"textAlign":49},[664],{"text":665,"type":579},"“If it can generate that amount then we can certainly achieve something similar nearly anywhere in the north.” For those arriving in Future City, USA, the effects will be plain to see: more solar farms dotting the hinterland and more rooftop space dedicated to solar panels.",{"type":574,"attrs":667,"content":668},{"textAlign":49},[],{"type":574,"attrs":670,"content":671},{"textAlign":49},[672],{"text":673,"type":579},"Improving performance will spur uptake as well, while some buildings might use transparent photovoltaic glass to provide energy, reduce glare and lower heat loads. However, the uptake of this technology will depend on cost and whether it can compete with the efficiency levels of conventional solar arrays. Unfortunately, most renewables come with a problem: fluctuation in output that creates variance in energy supplied.",{"type":574,"attrs":675,"content":676},{"textAlign":49},[677],{"text":678,"type":579},"High renewables penetration makes it hard for grids to deliver consistent and constant 24- hour energy. Smart systems can help by building on initiatives being developed or already in place like IBM’s Green Horizons, which can use climate modelling, the IOT and cognitive computing to assess renewables performance.",{"type":574,"attrs":680,"content":681},{"textAlign":49},[682],{"text":683,"type":579},"For example, cameras can monitor clouds and assess their potential to block the sun’s radiation at solar farms, while wind turbines are fitted with sensors that monitor wind speed, moisture and air pressure. The data is then coupled with weather forecast analysis, allowing the system to estimate solar and wind performance several days ahead at 90% accuracy, according to IBM. This helps with the vital task of predicting future energy levels and potential power gaps.",{"type":624,"attrs":685,"content":686},{"level":626,"textAlign":49},[687],{"text":688,"type":579},"Next step nuclear",{"type":574,"attrs":690,"content":691},{"textAlign":49},[692],{"text":693,"type":579},"Other low-carbon energy pathways are available, particularly nuclear power. However, the technology suffers an image problem among many in the general public, sometimes influencing government policies as a result. Germany decided to accelerate the shuttering of its nuclear plants to 2022 in the aftermath of Fukushima in 2011.",{"type":574,"attrs":695,"content":696},{"textAlign":49},[697],{"text":698,"type":579},"That has led – and some would say rather perversely – to further reliance on coal-fired power plants to backstop the country’s baseload power and support energy. By comparison, nations like China believe nuclear power offers a vital means of sustaining growth and reducing its carbon footprint.",{"type":574,"attrs":700,"content":701},{"textAlign":49},[702],{"text":703,"type":579},"Effective September, China has 34 operational plants, 20 under construction, 42 planned and 136 proposed, according to the World Nuclear Association. Several developed-world regions and nations are also revisiting the technology.",{"type":574,"attrs":705,"content":706},{"textAlign":49},[707],{"text":708,"type":579},"For example, New York State’s Public Service Commission recently approved subsidies that will extend the operational lives of three reactors on their low-emission status. “It’s a fundamental change and New York State is putting nuclear firmly into the green energy, low-carbon space where it absolutely belongs,” Spencer said, adding that other US nuclear plants could benefit if more states follow New York’s lead.",{"type":574,"attrs":710,"content":711},{"textAlign":49},[712],{"text":713,"type":579},"Small modular reactors (SMR) are making headway too, with multiple designs undergoing permitting processes. “An SMR is defined at below 250 MW and one or two [models] will probably come into production by 2025,” Spencer said. “The really interesting ones will be in the 25-50 MW range and capable of powering around 30,000 homes for something like seven or eight years.",{"type":574,"attrs":715,"content":716},{"textAlign":49},[717],{"text":718,"type":579},"They’ll be about the same size as a shipping container and easily transported by rail or truck,” he added. The technology will be inexpensive compared with nuclear plants, while offering a flexible solution for getting power to locations in urgent need of energy provision. SMRs can be clustered as well and, at the end of a module’s lifecycle, easily replaced.",{"type":574,"attrs":720,"content":721},{"textAlign":49},[722],{"text":723,"type":579},"Combined with renewables, the technology could also help many developing countries leap-frog traditional grid structures that are expensive to install and maintain. “In general, it’s clean energy more or less where you need it and effectively they’re just big batteries,” he said.",{"type":574,"attrs":725,"content":726},{"textAlign":49},[],{"type":574,"attrs":728,"content":729},{"textAlign":49},[730],{"text":731,"type":579},"Batteries of a more conventional nature, albeit on a much larger scale, will prove another critical component in the Future City’s energy revolution, adding flexibility and enabling greater renewables penetration over the longer term.",{"type":574,"attrs":733,"content":734},{"textAlign":49},[735],{"text":736,"type":579},"“We see an easy 20% of electricity generation possible from solar without battery storage, but higher percentages will need additional flexibility – and storage is a very important part of that,” Jones-Albertus said. “Batteries and other forms of storage will come down in cost and have an enormous synergistic effect,” she added.",{"type":574,"attrs":738,"content":739},{"textAlign":49},[740],{"text":741,"type":579},"However, the trajectory of innovation, adoption and integration is still the subject of much debate, as are the pros and cons of various battery types. “There are many battery technologies out there, although lithium-ion batteries capture the limelight because they’re powerful, generally safe and have a lot of excellent characteristics,” Spencer said.",{"type":574,"attrs":743,"content":744},{"textAlign":49},[745],{"text":746,"type":579},"But lithium-ion has issues surrounding duration, lifespan and the ability to be scaled up for industrial purposes, he noted, adding that vanadium redox batteries had these necessary strengths by comparison. “Vanadium redox batteries are little bit like the Cinderella battery; they’re not flashy and they don’t have the high power output of lithium-ion batteries, but they have the duration,” he said.",{"type":574,"attrs":748,"content":749},{"textAlign":49},[750],{"text":751,"type":579},"Batteries could allow consumers without direct access to renewables an opportunity to choose low-carbon energy stored by a provider and sold into the grid at a competitive price, possibly via a simple app. For those with the roof space, solar-with battery systems could become a standard feature by 2030.",{"type":574,"attrs":753,"content":754},{"textAlign":49},[755],{"text":756,"type":579},"The rewards for tapping this nascent market are obvious: first-mover advantage and the potential to sell millions of units across multiple jurisdictions. With its Powerwall technology, and the integration of SolarCity into the Tesla fold, Elon Musk wants to be a major contender here.",{"type":574,"attrs":758,"content":759},{"textAlign":49},[760],{"text":761,"type":579},"His “Master Plan, Part Deux” released on July 20 infers as much. “[Our goal is to] create a smoothly integrated and beautiful solarroof- with-battery product that just works, empowering the individual as their own utility, and then scale that throughout the world,” he wrote. Cheap solar-with-battery systems would also be a godsend for many developing-world inhabitants, providing reliable and inexpensive power for only a smallish outlay.",{"type":574,"attrs":763,"content":764},{"textAlign":49},[],{"type":624,"attrs":766,"content":767},{"level":626,"textAlign":49},[768],{"text":769,"type":579},"Electric avenues",{"type":574,"attrs":771,"content":772},{"textAlign":49},[773],{"text":774,"type":579},"Vital as they are, energy management, renewables integration and flexible grids are part of a much larger equation – the fourth industrial revolution, marked by its growing interconnectivity between daily life and artificial intelligence.",{"type":574,"attrs":776,"content":777},{"textAlign":49},[778],{"text":779,"type":579},"Even “basic” cloud computing by 2030 will be able to act as a master system through which devices like TVs, heaters, fridge-freezers, smartphones or vehicles report and function.",{"type":574,"attrs":781,"content":782},{"textAlign":49},[783],{"text":784,"type":579},"Out on the roads, traffic management will become more carefully controlled as technology enables real-time tracking of predictive and non-predictive behaviour, allowing cities to better understand bottlenecks, black spots and where speedcalming measures might be needed.",{"type":574,"attrs":786,"content":787},{"textAlign":49},[788],{"text":789,"type":579},"Traffic emissions are obviously a major contributor to pollution, the effects from which can badly damage health. Those who live in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei tri-city area know this only too well, battling through some of the world’s worst smogs. Electric vehicles (EVs) offer an essential means for cities to reduce this problem and deliver cleaner air. But municipalities will have to assist with the embedding of necessary infrastructure, such as readily granting street space for charging points.",{"type":574,"attrs":791,"content":792},{"textAlign":49},[793],{"text":794,"type":579},"Most believe the tipping point for EVs in major auto markets will come during the 2020s, when the price of an EV falls within easy reach of the middle classes, and when most people come to renew their conventional vehicles and switch to all-electric in the process. Electric buses also offer a useful template.",{"type":574,"attrs":796,"content":797},{"textAlign":49},[798],{"text":799,"type":579},"Some of the developments in this sector are small but high profile, like London unveiling its first all-electric double-decker bus in March. This vehicle was designed and built by China-headquartered BYD (Build Your Dreams).",{"type":574,"attrs":801,"content":802},{"textAlign":49},[],{"type":574,"attrs":804,"content":805},{"textAlign":49},[806],{"text":807,"type":579},"Electric buses in China: Fully electric buses using LFP cathodes are today’s most significant factor in shaping the future transport of the country’s cities",{"type":574,"attrs":809,"content":810},{"textAlign":49},[811],{"text":812,"type":579},"The company also operates an all-electric bus factory in Lancaster, California, near the Greater Los Angeles Area, and is reported to be on track for delivering 300 vehicles this year. In China thousands of all-electric buses are already in service or on order, propelled by national policy.",{"type":574,"attrs":814,"content":815},{"textAlign":49},[816],{"text":817,"type":579},"For example, the government released a new regulation in November 2015 that requires local governments to increase the integration of all-electric buses in major public transport fleets.",{"type":574,"attrs":819,"content":820},{"textAlign":49},[821],{"text":822,"type":579},"For specific provinces or cities, including Beijing, the percentage of “new-energy buses” in fleets will rise in rapid tranches – 30%, 60% and 80% – until 2019, according to Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit.",{"type":574,"attrs":824,"content":825},{"textAlign":49},[826],{"text":827,"type":579},"Another important development was witnessed at the start of September in Lyon, France, with the world’s first all-electric autonomous mini-bus service unveiled. Two vehicles carrying 15 people each will travel through the city centre in dedicated lanes at an average speed of 10 km/h along a 10-minute route.",{"type":574,"attrs":829,"content":830},{"textAlign":49},[831],{"text":832,"type":579},"The manufacturer, Navya, believes the technology’s initial points of entry are most likely to be closed sites with restricted traffic rules, such as industrial parks, airports or university campuses. “Our market potential can be estimated at several thousand vehicles on a global level by 2025. Europe itself will have reached 10,000 vehicles on closed sites,” Nava’s CEO Christophe Sapet predicted.",{"type":574,"attrs":834,"content":835},{"textAlign":49},[836],{"text":837,"type":579},"Meanwhile, six autonomous taxis owned and operated by nuTonomy entered service in Singapore in August. These autonomous vehicles (AVs) have an engineer monitoring performance at the wheel – ready to take over if there is a problem – while the fleet will travel within a 2.5 square-mile area, using designated drop-off points.",{"type":574,"attrs":839,"content":840},{"textAlign":49},[841],{"text":842,"type":579},"Uber also unveiled an AV service in August to serve in downtown Pittsburgh, with a human present as well. These small steps herald the great leap to come: large numbers of autonomous vehicles (AV) moving through regular traffic. “Currently there are a lot of questions about how much the technology costs, how quickly affordable versions can come online and what the behavioural responses will be,” University of Pennsylvania School of Design assistant professor Erick Guerra told Benchmark.",{"type":574,"attrs":844,"content":845},{"textAlign":49},[846],{"text":847,"type":579},"“But it would be an unwise bet not to assume AVs will be operating on the roadways in 10-15 years,” he stressed. Guerra’s research includes transport, travel behaviour and transit investment. His most recent publication was Planning for Cars that Drive Themselves.",{"type":574,"attrs":849,"content":850},{"textAlign":49},[851],{"text":852,"type":579},"Like EVs, the initial concentration of AVs will be in cities and urban corridors. Car ownership might decline on their presence as people prefer AV hire rather than buying a vehicle and paying for its upkeep. Companies like Uber, Lift, Google and plenty of others are busy modelling the commercial opportunities this represents.",{"type":574,"attrs":854,"content":855},{"textAlign":49},[856],{"text":857,"type":579},"“Uber is partnered with car manufacturers and other technology firms to develop this service and so is Lift; I would say it’s one of the big business strategies,” Guerra said. It would be a sea-change for automakers as they witness sales decline and disruption to traditional business strategies, Guerra noted.",{"type":574,"attrs":859,"content":860},{"textAlign":49},[861],{"text":862,"type":579},"“They [the automakers] are already thinking about becoming service providers rather than just dedicated car manufacturers.” Like aircraft manufacturers, an automaker might produce an AV, add options and then offer maintenance, repair and overhaul services. In areas of broad urban sprawl, like Los Angeles, AV journeys might be more limited as people decide the cost of the service is too much to justify something like a quick trip to the store, Guerra said.",{"type":574,"attrs":864,"content":865},{"textAlign":49},[],{"type":574,"attrs":867,"content":868},{"textAlign":49},[869],{"text":870,"type":579},"But cities with higher densities, like New York, could witness more trips than ever before. Travellers would be happy to pay a premium for an AV as they guarantee comfort and an attractive alternative to oversubscribed massed transit. “There have been some studies that back this up, whereby providers like Uber have increased road use,” Guerra noted.",{"type":574,"attrs":872,"content":873},{"textAlign":49},[874],{"text":875,"type":579},"“The AV revolution could boost driving levels in the denser urban areas, where most people don’t own cars or only use them for weekend trips.” AV dominance could also lead to a revolution in road space: less car ownership means fewer parked vehicles on the streets, opening them up for other opportunities like dedicated cycle lanes.",{"type":574,"attrs":877,"content":878},{"textAlign":49},[879],{"text":880,"type":579},"The shopping experience will probably change as well, with AVs taking consumers to stores or malls and then heading off to a rank or a designated loading zone for another customer. Concurrently the potential for intercity rail travel will be overhauled for millions as more high-speed infrastructure is unveiled.",{"type":574,"attrs":882,"content":883},{"textAlign":49},[884],{"text":885,"type":579},"For example, the USA will have a new high-speed route between Greater Los Angeles to San Francisco and there is more still to come. Maglev technology might become a more familiar sight, although its cost could be prohibitive for many countries, particularly those already struggling to maintain basic commuter routes.",{"type":574,"attrs":887,"content":888},{"textAlign":49},[889],{"text":890,"type":579},"At the cutting edge, Tesla is pushing ahead with its Hyperloop concept that will use vacuum technology to transport passengers through giant tubes at subsonic speeds. Early prototype trials held in May were successful, although the project is still very much in its infancy.",{"type":624,"attrs":892,"content":893},{"level":626,"textAlign":49},[894],{"text":895,"type":579},"Back to basics",{"type":574,"attrs":897,"content":898},{"textAlign":49},[899],{"text":900,"type":579},"In discussing advanced technology and the Future City, the temptation is to forget basic issues like housing and – especially for those living in crowded or successful cities – the prohibitive cost associated with it.",{"type":574,"attrs":902,"content":903},{"textAlign":49},[904],{"text":905,"type":579},"Greater densification and more tall buildings could alleviate some of the pressures, but the pace of construction in most cities almost always fails to keep up with demand. Modular buildings and the development of 3D-printed buildings could afford some useful solutions.",{"type":574,"attrs":907,"content":908},{"textAlign":49},[909],{"text":910,"type":579},"Modular homes are not a new idea, but the scope envisaged in the future would be on a far greater scale than seen today. Components would be produced in factories, ensuring greater quality control and less materials wastage compared with traditional building sites. The units can then be fitted together quickly and sold at an affordable price.",{"type":574,"attrs":912,"content":913},{"textAlign":49},[914],{"text":915,"type":579},"The materials used will be light-weight, strong and durable as new composites are utilised and construction techniques finetuned. Homes or buildings that are 3D printed will take longer to have a commercial impact as the technology is still in its earliest stages.",{"type":574,"attrs":917,"content":918},{"textAlign":49},[919],{"text":920,"type":579},"The advantage comes from one mechanism making a house or structure for even less labour costs and materials wastage. Buildings could also be easily re-modelled or customised, with the best designs shared or sold simply at the touch of a button.",{"type":574,"attrs":922,"content":923},{"textAlign":49},[924],{"text":925,"type":579},"Sturdy accommodation in disaster zones for survivors and refugees could also be provided, while slums could be cleared and replaced with cheap, structurally-sound buildings that have proper ventilation and connections to sewerage systems.",{"type":574,"attrs":927,"content":928},{"textAlign":49},[929],{"text":930,"type":579},"This would be a huge achievement in a world where more people have access to a mobile phone than a toilet. Italy-based 3D printer Wasp is currently attempting a world first by producing an adobe structure that uses only clay and straw – a 3D-printed structure made from the most basic and inexpensive materials available for a zero-carbon footprint.",{"type":574,"attrs":932,"content":933},{"textAlign":49},[934],{"text":935,"type":579},"Unsurprisingly, manufacturing centres will make greater use of conventional and advanced 3D printing, producing components or electronics that utilise the latest alloys and composites. There will be less wastage again, while a design could be produced in one country and then emailed for printing at a factory or shop thousands of miles away.",{"type":574,"attrs":937,"content":938},{"textAlign":49},[939],{"text":940,"type":579},"“The technology is improving quickly; it will become faster and easier much sooner than imagined,” Wasp spokesperson Cinzia Carantoni told Benchmark. “It will be an indisputable revolution, where everybody will be able to print what they need wherever they happen to be located.”",{"type":574,"attrs":942,"content":943},{"textAlign":49},[944],{"text":945,"type":579},"Materials derived from nanotechnology being tested or piloted today, such as graphene, will be scaled up and utilised within many consumer products by 2030. That means many items being sold fully augmented for strength, conductivity, permeability or a countless array of other advantages – and at little or no extra cost to the consumer.",{"type":574,"attrs":947,"content":948},{"textAlign":49},[],{"type":574,"attrs":950,"content":951},{"textAlign":49},[952],{"text":953,"type":579},"Nanotech is helping in other areas too, like desalination where new filters and membranes could reduce energy requirements, improve water quality and boost supply for growing populations.",{"type":574,"attrs":955,"content":956},{"textAlign":49},[957],{"text":958,"type":579},"Water systems and piping could also be overhauled by smart systems, sensors and cutting-edge materials. Self-sealing pipes will staunch leaks, while any serious water loss is reported and acted on in real time. Up above, on city rooftops, more space will be converted into green areas, including market gardens.",{"type":574,"attrs":960,"content":961},{"textAlign":49},[962],{"text":963,"type":579},"Some disused buildings might also be turned into urban farms, utilising specialist lighting, biosensors and monitoring technology to achieve bumper crops. Urban farming would also create employment opportunities and reduce some of the carbon footprint associated with transporting many foodstuffs.",{"type":574,"attrs":965,"content":966},{"textAlign":49},[967],{"text":968,"type":579},"Overall, it is impossible to detail every development Future City 2030 will witness: the expected advances are almost endless in scope and scale. Expected progress can also be derailed by sudden economic collapse, natural disasters or conflict.",{"type":574,"attrs":970,"content":971},{"textAlign":49},[972],{"text":973,"type":579},"Many nations are still struggling to overcome the effects of late 20th-century wars, while countries like Syria and Iraq seem locked in vicious cycles that could take decades to break. There are concerns too that smart computing could be used for ill, with authorities or multinationals tracking people in ways that make today’s data collection seem benign and even simplistic.",{"type":574,"attrs":975,"content":976},{"textAlign":49},[977],{"text":978,"type":579},"Plenty of future technologies that attract praise today will also disappoint or become quickly superseded, leaving those who predicted great successes a little red-faced. For most people, Future City 2030 will be a familiar and possibly mundane place as most technological advances are experienced gradually and are only considered revolutionary in the fullness of time.",{"type":574,"attrs":980,"content":981},{"textAlign":49},[982],{"text":983,"type":579},"But from today’s perspective, a city that has clean energy and air; has safer traffic and new modes of transport; utilises new building techniques and produces large volumes of its own food will be an exciting and wonderful achievement.",{"type":574,"attrs":985,"content":986},{"textAlign":49},[],"The fourth industrial revolution has arrived just as the planet urgently needs to decarbonise in the face of climate change. A city’s ability to cope and thrive in the years ahead will depend on meeting the challenges this presents – to embed renewables, to rethink transport and to grow sustainably by Simon Rees One thing […]",[989],{"slug":562,"name":563,"content":990},{"job_title":565,"image":991,"bio":568,"linkedin":569},{"filename":567},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"a68c7a2f-1a86-406a-b878-33c3c53891b3\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[995,998],{"slug":996,"name":997},"batteries","Batteries",{"slug":999,"name":1000},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals","private",{"id":49,"alt":1003,"name":1003,"focus":1003,"title":1003,"source":1003,"filename":1004,"copyright":1003,"fieldtype":1005,"meta_data":1006,"is_external_url":51},"","https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/9410c388d7/bm-screen-shot-2017-01-26-at-122623.png","asset",{"alt":1003,"title":1003,"source":1003,"copyright":1003},"Jan 26, 2017","26th January 2017",[],[],1792688599612]