Solar Glass Production with Grenzebach Pattern Glass Lines. (Grenzebach)
One key takeaway from the International Energy Association’s recent special report is that China’s dominance over the availability chain presents a major threat to the world’s ability to fulfill its solar panel production goals.
While Canada and the USA are actively working on reducing emissions, Governments need to make sure their path toward more sustainable energy systems has a robust foundation. When it comes to solar, this implies scaling up North American supply chains in a resilient, reasonably priced, and sustainable way.
Manitoba is positioning itself as a chief location to bolster North American solar manufacturing capability.
Only recently, Canadian Premium Sand Inc. (CPS) announced it has entered into an Choice to Purchase Agreement with the City of Selkirk to accumulate land zoned for heavy industrial purposes situated northwest of the intersection of Manitoba Highways 4 and 9A. This move will allow CPS to buy land with the intent to construct a patterned solar glass manufacturing plant in Manitoba. If approved, construction of the manufacturing facility is predicted to start in 2023.
Solar Supply Chain Taking Root in Manitoba
This glass manufacturing plant could meet North America’s growing demand for patterned glass while helping the solar supply chain take root in Canada.
It could support the event of a low-carbon domestic solar supply chain and Canada’s transition to net-zero emissions. It could also open up future opportunities for complementary businesses, job creation, and economic growth.
Why Manitoba?
Manitoba is considered one of North America’s key shipping hubs, offering manufacturing locations ready access to markets and reasonably priced shipping fees. CPS’s plant will probably be near their silica deposit, helping them access renewable energy while utilizing responsibly-sourced natural gas, in step with the IEA’s recommendations.
Manitoba poised to turn out to be a significant supplier of lithium for North America
Because the auto industry transitions from fossil fuels to electric vehicles, the demand for lithium is growing, and a mine in northern Manitoba is able to turn out to be a major supplier for North America.
In response to Phillip Gross, CEO and chairman of Snow Lake Lithium, “The demand for lithium far outstrips the actual supply available today. And most lithium on the planet today – no less than 85 percent of it – is controlled by China.” Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz each recently signed material agreements with Canada for lithium to make use of within the lithium-ion batteries required for his or her electric vehicle fleets.
Lithium-Not only for EVs
Gross believes lithium will probably be utilized in aviation, marine, and energy storage solutions because the world proceed to maneuver away from fossil fuels and technologies improve.
Snow Lake Lithium can produce as much as 160,000 kilos of lithium annually, roughly enough to provide half one million EV batteries. It’s a major contribution to the IEA’s hope for more countries to speculate in domestic solar supply chain solutions, but there continues to be room to grow. In the longer term, Manitoba may not only be a significant supplier of lithium, however the province is also home to manufacturing centers for EVs.
A Great Start for Canada
Considered one of the points emphasized within the IEA’s special report is the importance of distributing global solar panel manufacturing capability and creating domestic pathways.
To raised understand why that is vital, consider how recent and unexpected manufacturing halts in China caused the value of polysilicon to rise to a 10-year high. Such price spikes usually are not unusual and showcase the world’s ongoing dependence on China for supplying key materials for renewables.
To fulfill North America’s growing energy demands and climate goals, the worldwide deployment of solar products must grow at an unprecedented scale. Significant manufacturing capability expansion must also occur, which is able to proceed to flourish in Canada.
Canada has an infinite opportunity to make a worldwide impact within the renewable energy sector by bringing the solar supply chain home with Manitoba on the forefront, showing us the way in which.
