Overlooked metals for clean energy tech & news
We know lithium is important, but what about zinc? And other news
Climate technologies require enormous amounts of metal. I’m Ian Morse, and this is Green Rocks, a newsletter that doesn’t want dirty mining to ruin clean energy.
Weekly InQuarry
You know lithium and cobalt. You may even have a good grasp of the role of copper and aluminum in the clean energy transition. Or my elusive carrot on a stick, nickel.
But what about the under-appreciated metals? Here are three:
Silver is used in solar panels to coat glass for mirrors. With the most ambitious climate actions, silver demand would increase 350% by 2050, more than any other metal not counting energy storage. Almost all of that demand comes from solar PV.
Zinc prevents wind turbines from corroding as they withstand the elements. Essentially all forecasted zinc demand from clean energy tech comes from wind. After iron ore [for steel], it’s the biggest component needed for wind. If zinc-air batteries take off for their benefits of recyclability and zinc abundance, demand may further increase.
Indium composes a critical piece of many solar cells, enabling the sun’s rays to move electrons and generate electricity. Some of the best cells rely on indium, but if other products or technologies take hold, indium’s role in the transition could shoot up or down. In the most ambitious transition scenarios, it may get a boost as big as silver.
Source: World Bank
Climate going metal
Rio Tinto is exploring whether a Canadian site could produce low-carbon steel. The industry collectively produces roughly 5-10% of global emissions, and this project would attempt to use green hydrogen to power plants.
DRC president Felix Tshisekedi appointed mining CEO Sama Lukonde Kyenge as prime minister. Lukonde is CEO of Gecamines, the state copper and cobalt miner.
Locals in Brumadinho sued to invalidate the $7 billion settlement between the state government and Vale for the deadly collapse of its tailings dam. The Supreme Court, however, rejected the lawsuit.
That company, Vale, is creating a separate, executive-level ‘sustainability division’ to handle those kinds of issues.
It’s been ten years since the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, but mining companies continue to lag behind other industries on addressing human rights issues, according to a recent report from the Responsible Mining Foundation.
Chile believes the world’s largest lithium producer, US-based Albemarle, has been underpaying royalties it owes the country.
The Fraser Institute, which ranks places in the world based on their prospects for mining, has moved Nevada and Arizona above former No. 1 mining destination Western Australia.
Copper mining is becoming a fiery topic in the Peruvian election, where one candidate vowed to nationalize resources if elected.
The US will carry out a 100-day study to understand how vulnerable batteries, among other goods, are to supply chain shocks. “The U.S. could better leverage our sizeable lithium reserves and manufacturing know-how to expand domestic battery production.”
A Ember report found that China’s aluminum sector, which produces 60% of the world’s aluminum, produces more CO2 emissions than all of Indonesia.
Ford became the first US automaker to join IRMA, a third-party association that promotes responsible mining.
Rio Tinto is helping local partners resolve a dispute in Guinea over resettling communities for a bauxite mine that had led to a complaint to the International Finance Corporation.
Rio Tinto’s former chief received a 20% raise despite being forced out after he oversaw the destruction of ancient Aboriginal cave sites in Australia.
Traditional owners of a site that was turned into a Glencore lead and zinc mine are suing the Northern Territory government in Australia for reducing the bond required from the company for clean-up after closure.
A copper smelter in Indonesia is alleged to have stopped paying health premiums for workers who went on strike.
Reads
≠ endorsement
Mining boom could herald commodity 'supercycle' (The Guardian)
Supercharged Commodity Boom: Definitely. Supercycle? Not Exactly (Bloomberg)
'America, send us your ideas': Biden pledges to protect 30% of US lands by 2030 (The guardian)
The true cost of mine closure (The Northern Miner)
Beneath the blue: dive into a dazzling ocean under threat – interactive (The Guardian)
Electric vehicles can drive more responsible mining (China Dialogue)
Listen: Deepsea mining interests move fast on Pacific ecosystem (Radio New Zealand)
The Auto Industry Bets Its Future on Batteries (New York Times)
Can Harvesting Rare Earth Elements Solve the Coal Ash Crisis? (Sierra Magazine)
Nevada lithium mine kicks off a new era of Western extraction (High Country News)
These topics are relevant to anyone who consumes energy. If you know someone like that, pass this along!