Critical raw materials for the energy transition

Abstract

Renewable energy generation and storage requires specialized capital goods, embedding critical raw materials (CRM). The scarcity of CRM therefore affects the transition from a fossil based energy system to one based on renewables, necessary to cope with climate change. We consider the issue in a theoretical model, where we allow for a very costly potential substitute, reflecting a backstop technology, and for partial and costly recycling of materials in capital goods. We characterize the main features of the efficient energy transition, and their dependence on the relative abundance of CRM and on the recycling technology. Recycling reduces the cost of the transition. It also calls for having a large stock of recyclable CRM embedded in specialized capital at the time of adoption of the backstop technology. Moreover, we consider constraints on policy tools and myopic regulation, and show how abstracting from the scarcity of CRM, or tightly linking subsidies for renewables to the carbon tax revenue, is misleading in designing climate policy.

Strategic Minerals for Climate Change and the Energy Transition: The Mining Contribution of Colombia

“…Clean energy transition technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles rely on various mineral resources that are the pillar of such technologies; therefore, the demand for specific types of minerals is expected to increase shortly to meet the needs of this infrastructure [26,35,36]. The great technological and economic importance of these strategic minerals combined with concerns about their future availability depending on geopolitical and geological factors has led to increasing attention to building the required energy infrastructure and achieving the energy transition and GHG emission reduction goals of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs, which implies a significant increase in the demand for minerals, making it necessary to mobilize substantial amounts of resource minerals [37][38][39]. The International Energy Agency (IEA) also claims that an energy system fueled by low-carbon energy technologies needs more minerals, especially copper.…”

“…The International Energy Agency (IEA) also claims that an energy system fueled by low-carbon energy technologies needs more minerals, especially copper. The recent price increases for cobalt, copper, lithium, and nickel highlight how supply could struggle to satisfy the world demand for these critical minerals [37]. Figure 2 shows the number of kilograms of minerals used in clean energy technologies necessary to produce an electric car and a conventional one and that necessary for the generation of 1 MW of energy from various sources.…”

Seaweed’s Role in Energetic Transition—From Environmental Pollution Challenges to Enhanced Electrochemical Devices

“…To achieve this ambitious objective, solar and wind energies must reach an unprecedent scale, thus increasing the demand for raw materials, and in particular, the minerals needed to build wind turbines, solar panels and energy-storage devices [5,6]. Apart from the rising prices, currently there are no limitations on some minerals, such as copper, cadmium, selenium and nickel; however, other metals that are currently considered critical raw materials (CRMs) may be limited, thus limiting the development of clean energy technologies and slowing down the energetic transition progress [7]. earth elements will be needed by 2050 to produce electric vehicle batteries and energystorage devices, digital technologies and wind generators [6,9].…”

A Self-Assembled Multiphasic Thin Film as an Oxygen Electrode for Enhanced Durability in Reversible Solid Oxide Cells

“…State-of-the-art air electrode architectures are specifically comprised of La1-xSrxCo1-yFeyO3 (including y =0) -doped CeO2 porous composites, with a thickness range of 20-50 m 17,18 . Notably, the strong geolocalization of cobalt resources combined with its ever-growing demand by incumbent energy technologies including Li-ion batteries, poses a serious threat to the SOC ecosystem 19,20 . New strategies for the development of next-generation oxygen electrodes with high performance and minimized use of critical raw materials are therefore mandatory.…”