Author Topic: The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions  (Read 566 times)

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Offline thackney

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The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions
« on: May 06, 2021, 08:45:44 pm »
The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions
https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions
May 2021

Minerals are essential components in many of today’s rapidly growing clean energy technologies – from wind turbines and electricity networks to electric vehicles. Demand for these minerals will grow quickly as clean energy transitions gather pace. This new World Energy Outlook Special Report provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of the complex links between these minerals and the prospects for a secure, rapid transformation of the energy sector.

Alongside a wealth of detail on mineral demand prospects under different technology and policy assumptions, it examines whether today’s mineral investments can meet the needs of a swiftly changing energy sector. It considers the task ahead to promote responsible and sustainable development of mineral resources, and offers vital insights for policy makers, including six key IEA recommendations for a new, comprehensive approach to mineral security.

Executive summary

An energy system powered by clean energy technologies differs profoundly from one fuelled by traditional hydrocarbon resources. Solar photovoltaic (PV) plants, wind farms and electric vehicles (EVs) generally require more minerals to build than their fossil fuel-based counterparts. A typical electric car requires six times the mineral inputs of a conventional car and an onshore wind plant requires nine times more mineral resources than a gas-fired plant. Since 2010 the average amount of minerals needed for a new unit of power generation capacity has increased by 50% as the share of renewables in new investment has risen....





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Offline IsailedawayfromFR

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Re: The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2021, 09:37:32 pm »
Kinda strange logic.

Minerals are also critical components in conventional power systems as, after all, the fuel they use is made from minerals(oil and gas).

The advantage that conventionals have is there wayyyyyy more oil and gas minerals than the minerals used to construct renewable power systems.
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Offline MajorClay

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Re: The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2021, 05:01:54 pm »
Looks like copper is main component

Offline jaymaron

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Re: The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2021, 02:41:02 pm »
The endangered elements are:

Cobalt is used for lithium-ion batteries, and most comes from DR Congo.
Lithium-ion batteries can be made without cobalt, but cobalt-based batteries
have more energy/mass.

Rare-earths, which appear throughout the electronics industry, especially for solar cells. Rare-earths
come mostly from China. America has a fine rare-earth mine that it declines to use. The chief rare-earth is
neodymium, for magnets.

Germanium is needed for fiber optics and most of it comes from China.

Tin is used for solder and bronze, and most comes from China.

Tungsten is used for superhard materials in the form of tungsten carbide, and most comes from China.

Scandium is is a great alloy metal, and it is produced in Ukraine, China, and Russia.

Elements that are not endangered include:

Lithium, for lithium-ion batteries. Most comes from Australia and Chile.

Catalysts, such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium. Most catalyst elements are
mined in metal asteroid craters, such as Sudbury, Canada, and Vredefort, South
Africa. Metal asteroids have trillions of dollars of catalyst
elements. Catalysts are vital for the chemical industry and for mufflers.

Rhenium is used for aircraft turbines, and it comes from Chile, USA, Peru, and Poland.

Beryllium, which is the metal with the best strength/mass. Beryllium is the only element that America
dominates production for.

Phosphorus and potassium, for fertilizer. The superpowers for these elements
are Israel, Canada, China, and Morocco. Biomass can solve many problems, and the limit on world
biomass is decided by phosphorus and potassium.

Tantalum is used for capacitors and is produced in Australia, Brazil, and Canada.

Nickel alloys well with steel. Nickel is found worldwide.

Caesium is used as a drilling lubricant in the form of caesium formate. Most caesium comes from Canada.

Gold is used for currency, and there is abundant gold in America, Canada, and Australia.

Silver is used for solar cells and most comes from Mexico and Peru.

Copper comes mostly from Chile and the rest comes from Peru, USA, Australia, and China.

Gallium is extracted from aluminum ore, and aluminum ore is abundant.

Uranium and thorium are used for nuclear power and they are abundant.


Platinum group elements jumped in price by a factor of 10 from 2016 to 2021.

China dominates production for most elements, and they do it with coal. China is obviously trying to corner as many elements as they can.

Mining: jaymaron.com/mining.html https://www.jaymaron.com/mining.html