Analysis on „Raw materials“ published by SpringerLink

13. July 2018

Renewable energy plants, storage facilities and grids require ever larger quantities of a growing variety of metals. Are there enough resources to implement the energy transition? The analysis of the academy project "Energy Systems of the Future" comes to the conclusion that globally, there are sufficient metals and raw materials. The challenge is to make the supply secure, affordable and environmentally and socially acceptable. In July 2018, the English translation of the ESYS analysis was published by SpringerLink.

The publication Raw Materials for Future Energy Supply explains the mechanisms of action on the global commodity markets and identifies supply risks. These include, for example, sudden surges in demand on international markets and the unequal distribution of raw material deposits around the world.

Subsequently, the analysis provides approaches to recognize early warning signals for potential raw material bottlenecks, to develop alternative strategies and to secure the supply of raw materials for the energy transition. For example, the expansion of recycling can help to reduce dependence on metal imports. In mining, on the other hand, innovative technologies must be developed to improve the exploration and use of the deposits. By setting binding environmental and social standards, the extraction of raw materials could also be more sustainable.

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