Many mining companies present themselves as green companies. Because their raw materials, in particular metals, are needed for renewable energies or electromobility. By 2050, we will need multiples of lithium, cobalt, copper and other metals for these so-called green technologies. This is shown by numerous forecasts. However, what ‘green technologies’ are is often defined differently. While many think of wind and solar systems first of all, these technologies can also include battery-powered cars, 3D printers, and other technologies for which there may well be more sustainable alternatives.
The analysis of PowerShift with data from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, which is clearly summarized in the fact sheet, also shows that renewable energy production does not have a much greater need for metals than fossil fuels.
On the contrary, some renewable energy technologies, such as small hydroelectric power plants or roof-mounted PV systems, perform significantly better than fossil-based coal-fired power plants, for example. For one megawatt hour of electricity, about 340g of metals are needed in a small waterworks, in a coal-fired power plant it is up to 3,920g. A coal-fired power plant needs about ten to eleven times as many metals per megawatt hour as a small hydroelectric power plant. Although the expansion of renewable energy technologies requires large quantities of metals, the material intensity is significantly lower, as gas and coal-fired power plants also require the addition of burnt fossil raw materials.
In contrast to the expansion of fossil fuels, the expansion of renewable energy infrastructure is essential for an effective fight against climate change. However, this expansion and the associated need for metals must in no way justify possible social and environmental impacts and global injustices in the extraction of raw materials. Rather, our results illustrate the urgency of transforming our handling of raw materials in the sense of a raw material turnaround.
Listen to our podcast #33 metals for the energy transition and learn more about the background. Also our podcast #37: Circular economy – how we can make the energy transition resource-efficient Dedicated to this topic.
