The transition to renewable energy in the US may be hampered by a copper shortage, a study suggests. This research highlights the challenges associated with the supply of copper, which is essential for electricity infrastructure and electric vehicles.
Copper requirement for the energy transition
The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in 2022, requires 100% of cars manufactured to be electric vehicles by 2035. However, an electric vehicle requires three to five times more copper than an internal combustion motor vehicle. In addition, power grid upgrades also require a significant amount of copper.
Adam Simon, professor of environmental studies at the University of Michigan, explains: “ A normal Honda Accord requires about 40 pounds of copper. The same electric Honda Accord requires nearly 200 pounds of copper. Onshore wind turbines require around 10 tons of copper, and for offshore wind turbines this amount can more than double. »
Production challenges
Researchers examined 120 years of global data from copper mining companies and calculated copper requirements to modernize America’s electric infrastructure and vehicle fleet. They found that copper requirements for renewable energy would exceed what copper mines can produce at the current rate.
The approval process for mining companies contributes in part to this deficit. On average, it takes around 20 years from the time a new copper deposit is discovered until permission is granted to build a mine.
Scientists have found that between 2018 and 2050, the world will need to mine 115% more copper than was mined in all of human history up to 2018, just to meet current needs. This includes copper needs to support developing countries without considering the transition to green energy.
To meet the copper needs of the electrification of the global car fleet, up to six new large copper mines will need to come online each year over the next decades. Around 40% of the new mines’ output will be needed for electric vehicle-related grid upgrades.
Alternative solutions
The researchers suggest focusing on the production of hybrid cars instead of aiming for complete electrification of the US fleet. “ We hope that the study will be taken into account by policy makers who should consider copper as the limiting factor in the energy transition and think about how copper is allocated », specifies Adam Simon.
They also point out that copper will be needed for developing countries to build infrastructure, such as power grids for about 1 billion people who do not yet have access to electricity, drinking water facilities for about 2 billion people without access to drinking water and wastewater. treatment facilities for the 4 billion people without access to sanitation facilities.
“ Renewable energy technologies, clean water, waste water, electricity – all this cannot exist without copper. We therefore find ourselves in a tension between the amount of copper needed to build infrastructure in less developed countries and what is needed for the energy transition. “, explains Adam Simon.
The researchers conclude that significant progress can be made to reduce emissions in the United States. However, the almost exclusive focus on downstream production of renewable energy technologies cannot be met by upstream mining production of copper and other metals without a complete change in thinking about mining among environmental groups and policy makers.
