Will Massive Appetite for Minerals Stall Clean Energy Transition?

Mitch Leslie

Engineering ›› 2023, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (12) : 8-10.

PDF(629 KB)
PDF(629 KB)
Engineering ›› 2023, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (12) : 8-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2023.11.001
News & Highlights

Will Massive Appetite for Minerals Stall Clean Energy Transition?

Author information +
History +

Abstract

Electric cars purring along the highway differ from nearby internal combustion vehicles not just in their source of power. For parts such as wires and inverters, electric cars require more than twice as much copper as their conventional counterparts

Graphical abstract

Cite this article

EndNote

Ris (Procite)

Bibtex

Download citation ▾
Mitch Leslie. Will Massive Appetite for Minerals Stall Clean Energy Transition?. Engineering, 2023, 31(12): 8‒10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2023.11.001

References

Publishing order | Descend order by publishing year | Descend order by cited within
[1]
International Energy Agency. The role of critical minerals in clean energy transitions [Internet]. Paris: International Energy Agency; 2021 May [cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions.
[2]
Copper Development Association Inc. How copper drives electric vehicles [Internet]. New York City: Copper Development Association Inc.; 2017 [cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.copper.org/publications/pub_list/pdf/A6192_ElectricVehicles-Infographic.pdf.
[3]
Castelvecchi D.Electric cars: the battery challenge [Internet]. London: Nature; 2021 Aug 19 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02222-1.
[4]
Orf D. Elon Musk wants a future of EV Motors without rare earth metals [Internet]. New York City: Popular Mechanics; 2023 Jun 2 [cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/hybrid-electric/a43773686/rare-earth-metal-motor-tesla/.
[5]
Hund K, La Porta D, Fabregas TP, Laing T, Drexhage J. Minerals for climate action: the mineral intensity of the clean energy transition. Washington, DC: World Bank Publications; 2020.
[6]
Steckelberg A, Dormido H, Mellen R, Rich S, Brown C. The underbelly of electric vehicles [Internet]. Washington, DC: Washington Post; 2023 Apr 27 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2023/electric-car-batteries-geography/.
[7]
Healy J, Baker M. As miners chase clean-energy minerals, tribes fear a repeat of the past [Internet]. New York City: New York Times; 2021 Dec 27 [cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/us/mining-clean-energy-antimony-tribes.html.
[8]
S. Wang, Z. Hausfather, S. Davis, J. Lloyd, E.B. Olson, L. Liebermann, et al.. Future demand for electricity generation materials under different climate mitigation scenarios. Joule, 7 (2) ( 2023), pp. 309-332
[9]
Sweden’s LKAB finds Europe’s biggest deposit of rare earth metals [Internet].London: Reuters; 2023 Jan 23 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/swedens-lkab-finds-europes-biggest-deposit-rare-earth-metals-2023-01-12/.
[10]
Voosen P. Treasure hunt Internet. Washington, DC: Science; 2023 Jun 1 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.science.org/content/article/major-us-geological-survey-aims-uncover-minerals-critical-batteries-microchips.
[11]
UN to start taking deep-sea mining applications this July [Internet].London: Reuters; 2023 Apr 4 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/un-start-taking-deep-sea-mining-applications-this-july-2023-03-31/.
[12]
Friedman L. Biden administration sets a mining ban in boundary waters wilderness [Internet]. New York City: New York Times; 2023 Jan 26 [cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/26/climate/mining-ban-boundary-waters-copper.html.
[13]
Ali SH.There’s no free lunch in clean energy [Internet]. London: Nature; 2023 Mar 23 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00790-y.
[14]
Stone M. Mining is a polluting business. Can new tech make it cleaner? [Internet]. Washington, DC: National Geographic; 2022 May 13 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/mining-is-a-polluting-business-can-new-tech-make-it-cleaner?.
[15]
Water Science School.Mining and water quality [Internet]. Washington, DC: United States Geological Survey; 2018 Jun 8 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/mining-and-water-quality.
[16]
Gramling C. Rare earth mining may be key to our renewable energy future. But at what cost? [Internet]. Washington, DC: Science News; 2023 Jan 11 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/rare-earth-mining-renewable-energy-future.
[17]
High-pressure acid leach [Internet].Provo: Caldera Engineering; 2016 [cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.calderaengineering.com/industries-served/high-pressure-acid-leach-and-pressure-oxidation/high-pressure-acid-leach.
[18]
Tan R, Sijabat DM, Irwandi J. To meet EV demand, industry turns to technology long deemed hazardous [Internet]. Washington, DC: Washington Post; 2023 May 10 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2023/ev-nickel-refinery-dangers/.
[19]
International Council of Mining and Metals. Our principles [Internet]. London: International Council of Mining and Metals; [cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/our-principles.
[20]
Holger D. Investors push mining companies to adopt better sustainability standards [Internet]. New York City: Wall Street Journal; 2023 Jan 25
[2023 Aug 25 ]
[21]
Haddad AZ, Hackl L, Akuzum B, Pohlmann G, Magnan J, Kosteki R.How to make lithium extraction cleaner, faster, and cheaper—in six steps [Internet]. London: Nature; 2023 Apr 13 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00978-2.
[22]
Brigham K. The Salton Sea could produce the world’s greenest lithium, if new extraction technologies work [Internet]. New York City: CNBC; 2022 May 4 [cited 2023 Sep 10]. Available from: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/04/the-salton-sea-could-produce-the-worlds-greenest-lithium.html.
[23]
Scheyder E.Stellantis invests more than $100 million in California lithium project [Internet]. London: Reuters; 2023 Aug 17 [ cited 2023 Sep 10]. Available from: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/stellantis-invests-more-than-100-million-california-lithium-project-2023-08-17/.
[24]
Crownhart C.How old batteries will help power tomorrow’s EVs [Internet]. Cambridge: MIT Tech Review; 2023 Jan 17 [ cited 2023 Aug 23]. Available from: https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/01/17/1065026/evs-recycling-batteries-10-breakthrough-technologies-2023/.
[25]
Geng Y, Sarkis J, Bleischwitz R.How to build a circular economy for rare-earth elements [Internet]. London: Nature; 2023 Jul 13 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02153-z.
[26]
Poitras J.How industry, Indigenous nations and provincial leaders forged a consensus in Labrador [Internet]. Toronto: CBC News; 2021 Dec 9 [ cited 2023 Aug 25]. Available from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/forging-consensus-in-labrador-first-nations-1.6278536.
AI Summary AI Mindmap
PDF(629 KB)

Accesses

Citations

Detail
Sections
Recommended

/

〈 〉