5E Advanced Materials, Inc. aims to accelerate decarbonisation worldwide by becoming a vertically integrated producer of boron advanced materials.
Establishing secure and resilient supply chains for boron advanced materials will be essential as the planet strives to achieve climate goals, with demand for this unique material forecasted to skyrocket due to its essentialness in a plethora of green technologies.
5E is poised to supply this growing demand, operating out of the company’s flagship Boron Americas Complex in Southern California, the largest known new conventional boron deposit globally, designated as Critical Infrastructure by the US Government.
Boron’s essential role in the green transition
Boron, a metalloid element with atomic number 5, exhibits unique properties that make it invaluable across various industrial, scientific, and everyday applications.
Its versatility stems from its remarkable characteristics, including high melting point, light weight, hardness, corrosion resistance, and antimicrobial properties.
Boron can be in the form of raw materials from ores and concentrates but can also be refined into high-value speciality and advanced materials that are essential in widely used and future-facing technologies, including:
- Permanent magnets;
- Electric vehicles;
- Solar panels;
- Wind turbines;
- Industrial fertilisers;
- Aerospace technologies; and
- Speciality glass.
Global supply chain dynamics
Due to its critical use in a range of technologies that are globally significant to decarbonisation, establishing robust supply chains for boron advanced materials is imperative.
However, supply chains are currently vulnerable. Around 85% of boron is sourced from Turkey and a non-core declining asset within the US.
Moreover, most of the world’s refined boron advanced materials and specialities are imported from China, with 80% of boron carbides also sourced from China.
This dependence on foreign imports puts various industries in jeopardy from supply chain disruptions, meaning a reliable resource is more urgent than ever, a resource that 5E is uniquely positioned to supply.
Sustainable boron production for global decarbonisation
5E’s local operational strategy emphasises energy efficiency and minimises resource consumption and environmental disturbance in the surrounding area.
Their integrated, on-site processing model eliminates energy-intensive steps throughout the product value chain, assisting customers in achieving their sustainability objectives with a reduced carbon footprint.
The company’s in-situ extraction promotes lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional open-pit and underground mining methods, while the closed-loop processing methods reduce water consumption by capturing, recycling, and recirculating water across multiple process operations.
Additionally, the processing of boron advanced materials at the company’s production facility is at the same location where upstream extraction will be performed, creating efficient logistics and energy usage.
The competitive edge of 5E’s superior resource quality, secure domestic supply chain, and advanced downstream processing capacities position the company to become a global leader in boron advanced materials.
