XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 9
Source: Sovacool et al, 2020
Figure 2. A projection of the growth needed in production of minerals and metals for a global low-carbon energy transition
Table 1. Total tonnage of metals required to deliver an electric economy, compared with 2019 production and the numbers of
years required to meet the demand based on 2019 production rates
Metal Element
Total Metal Required to Produce One
Generation of Technology Units to Phase
out Fossil Fuels,
Tonnes (t)
Global Metal
Production 2019,
Tonnes (t)
Years to Produce Metal
at 2019 Rates,
years
Copper Cu 4,575,523,674 24,200,000 189
Nickel Ni 940,578,114 2,350,142 400
Lithium Li 944,150,293 95,170 9921
Cobalt Co 218,396,990 126,019 1733
Graphite (natural flake) C 8,973,640,257 1,156,300 3288
Graphite (synthetic) C 1,573,000 —
Silicon (Metallurgical) Si 49,571,460 8,410,000 6
Vanadium V 681,865,986 96,021 7101
Rare Earth Metals
Neodymium Nd 965,183 23,900 40
Germanium Ge 4,163,162 143 29113
Lanthanum La 5,970,738 35,800 167
Praseodymium Pr 235,387 7,500 31
Dysprosium Dy 196,207 1,000 196
Terbium Tb 16,771 280 60
Source: BGR 2021 USGS, Friedrichs 2022
*Estimated from mining production. All other values are production values.
† Natural flake graphite and synthetic graphite were combined to estimate total production.
Source: Sovacool et al, 2020
Figure 2. A projection of the growth needed in production of minerals and metals for a global low-carbon energy transition
Table 1. Total tonnage of metals required to deliver an electric economy, compared with 2019 production and the numbers of
years required to meet the demand based on 2019 production rates
Metal Element
Total Metal Required to Produce One
Generation of Technology Units to Phase
out Fossil Fuels,
Tonnes (t)
Global Metal
Production 2019,
Tonnes (t)
Years to Produce Metal
at 2019 Rates,
years
Copper Cu 4,575,523,674 24,200,000 189
Nickel Ni 940,578,114 2,350,142 400
Lithium Li 944,150,293 95,170 9921
Cobalt Co 218,396,990 126,019 1733
Graphite (natural flake) C 8,973,640,257 1,156,300 3288
Graphite (synthetic) C 1,573,000 —
Silicon (Metallurgical) Si 49,571,460 8,410,000 6
Vanadium V 681,865,986 96,021 7101
Rare Earth Metals
Neodymium Nd 965,183 23,900 40
Germanium Ge 4,163,162 143 29113
Lanthanum La 5,970,738 35,800 167
Praseodymium Pr 235,387 7,500 31
Dysprosium Dy 196,207 1,000 196
Terbium Tb 16,771 280 60
Source: BGR 2021 USGS, Friedrichs 2022
*Estimated from mining production. All other values are production values.
† Natural flake graphite and synthetic graphite were combined to estimate total production.