Chatgpt generated image of Europe navigating between China’s processing choke point and America’s federal volatility toward a more resilient battery minerals future.
The energy transition will not fail because the world runs out of useful minerals. It can be slowed, made more expensive, and made more fragile because the industrial systems that turn minerals into batteries, motors, power electronics, grid equipment, and vehicles are concentrated, politically exposed, and hard to rebuild. That … [continued]
Rio Tinto has energized a new 25-megawatt solar plant at its Kennecott copper operations in Utah, showcasing a circular critical-minerals supply chain in which tellurium produced at the site is used to manufacture the panels now powering it. Together with the 5MW solar plant completed in 2023, Kennecott now has … [continued]
Workers in a copper recycling facility sort scrap wire and tubing—highlighting copper's critical circular economy role in the energy transition, from ChatGPT.
A rise in the price of copper and silver in the futures markets indicates a transition to renewables and EVs is under way.
"Mudpots bubble and steam near the Salton Buttes lava domes, a volcanic area at the southeastern end of the Salton Sea, California." Image credit: Deborah Bergfeld, USGS.
Critical minerals, such as copper, cobalt, and silicon, are vital for energy technologies, but most critical minerals markets are less transparent than mature energy markets, such as crude oil or coal. Like other energy markets, many supply-side and demand-side factors influence pricing for these energy-relevant critical minerals, but critical minerals supply chains contain … [continued]
Workers in a copper recycling facility sort scrap wire and tubing—highlighting copper's critical circular economy role in the energy transition, from ChatGPT.
Venture activity also surges, but regulatory and integration challenges threaten timely scale-up. Demand for copper is projected to reach unprecedented levels, as copper is a key component of the energy transition. As the world races to electrify several sectors, including transport, as well as expand the adoption of renewables, coupled … [continued]
Workers in a copper recycling facility sort scrap wire and tubing—highlighting copper's critical circular economy role in the energy transition, from ChatGPT.
The April 2025 paper by Cathles and colleagues in SEG Discovery, Copper: Mining, Development, and Electrification, examining global copper supply constraints in the context of electrification and renewable energy, is rapidly becoming influential in industry and policy circles. It is important to closely scrutinize its assertions and underlying assumptions, as … [continued]
The electric vehicle revolution is genuinely in full swing, with almost one out of every 4 new vehicles having a plug in 2024. The core element of that revolution is the batteries, and the essence of those batteries is a handful of metals. So, the most critical conundrum is how … [continued]
ChatGPT generated panoramic image of a big mine with critical mineral symbols floating in the air overhead
Late in 2024 I had the privilege of sitting down with one of the world’s leading experts on critical minerals, Gavin Mudd, director of the centre for critical minerals intelligence at the British Geological Survey. The second half of the conversation included a great deal on why we’re both optimistic … [continued]
DALL·E generated image of piles of copper, aluminum, and steel ingots beside a road with electric cars.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Targets for 100 percent electric vehicle adoption by 2035 cannot be achieved without an unprecedented acceleration in copper mining, according to the Secretary General of the International Energy Forum Joseph McMonigle. Copper is the most essential mineral for societal development, but growing electrification needs globally cannot … [continued]
Aluminum is an example of a material that has seen rapid growth in demand in recent years, and that demand has been met by expanded primary production. Aluminum has a density of 2.7 kg/dm3 at room temperature, which is about one-third of the density of iron and steel. With proper … [continued]
