Material stocks in global electricity infrastructures – An empirical analysis of the power sector's stock-flow-service nexus

Kalt, Gerald; Thunshirn, Philipp; Wiedenhofer, Dominik; Krausmann, Fridolin; Haas, Willi; Haberl, Helmut

doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105723

Cited by 35 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…For example, Wang et al found that the cumulative amount of critical metals required for the production of China solar power from 2015 to 2050 will exceed the present national reserve by 1.4 to 123 folds 11 . Similar studies have been carried out for wind power-related 10,21 , hydroelectricity-related 22,23 , and nuclear power-related 24,25 metal demand.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Tracing Metal Footprints Through Global Renewable-Power Value Chains

Peng

Wang

et al. 2022

SSRN Journal

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Tracing Metal Footprints Through Global Renewable-Power Value Chains

Peng

Wang

et al. 2022

SSRN Journal

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“…This challenge can be also referred to as recycling of nanoscrap and as multi-or polymetal recycling. 87,109,111,135,417 The retrieval of copper via recycling must consider three main stages, namely, sorting processes, separation techniques, and the metallurgical recovery and its by-products. 135 A very important aspect is the gradually decreasing global availability of new scrap, which has high purity, as it is directly produced during manufacturing, i.e.…”

Section: Stainless Steel Scrapmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Materials Science behind Sustainable Metals and Alloys

Raabe

2023

Chem. Rev.

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Production of metals stands for 40% of all industrial greenhouse gas emissions, 10% of the global energy consumption, 3.2 billion tonnes of minerals mined, and several billion tonnes of by-products every year. Therefore, metals must become more sustainable. A circular economy model does not work, because market demand exceeds the available scrap currently by about two-thirds. Even under optimal conditions, at least one-third of the metals will also in the future come from primary production, creating huge emissions. Although the influence of metals on global warming has been discussed with respect to mitigation strategies and socio-economic factors, the fundamental materials science to make the metallurgical sector more sustainable has been less addressed. This may be attributed to the fact that the field of sustainable metals describes a global challenge, but not yet a homogeneous research field. However, the sheer magnitude of this challenge and its huge environmental effects, caused by more than 2 billion tonnes of metals produced every year, make its sustainability an essential research topic not only from a technological point of view but also from a basic materials research perspective. Therefore, this paper aims to identify and discuss the most pressing scientific bottleneck questions and key mechanisms, considering metal synthesis from primary (minerals), secondary (scrap), and tertiary (re-mined) sources as well as the energy-intensive downstream processing. Focus is placed on materials science aspects, particularly on those that help reduce CO2 emissions, and less on process engineering or economy. The paper does not describe the devastating influence of metal-related greenhouse gas emissions on climate, but scientific approaches how to solve this problem, through research that can render metallurgy fossil-free. The content is considering only direct measures to metallurgical sustainability (production) and not indirect measures that materials leverage through their properties (strength, weight, longevity, functionality).

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“…Moreover, while there have been some similar studies involving electricity transmission grids, these studies have been limited by different research aims and scopes to answer the question of how many mineral resources are needed for electrical grid systems linked to future global wind and solar PV. First, previous studies on metal requirements have tended to estimate in an aggregated manner, taking the global or regional grid network as a whole and packaging all types of electricity networks together, including all transmission and distribution grids as well as those that might be connected to fossil energy. , The heterogeneity of electrical grid infrastructures associated with renewable development, such as the differences in power cables used for offshore and onshore wind, and their inter-field and export transmission lines have not been captured. − Second, the impact of the evolution of renewable energy projects on their electrical grid systems, such as the distance to the main network connection point and the scaling up of individual renewable projects, has not been considered. Third, the recycling potential of mineral resources used in electrical grids has been missing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, previous studies on metal requirements have tended to estimate in an aggregated manner, taking the global or regional grid network as a whole and packaging all types of electricity networks together, including all transmission and distribution grids as well as those that might be connected to fossil energy. 28 , 29 The heterogeneity of electrical grid infrastructures associated with renewable development, such as the differences in power cables used for offshore and onshore wind, and their inter-field and export transmission lines have not been captured. 30 − 33 Second, the impact of the evolution of renewable energy projects on their electrical grid systems, such as the distance to the main network connection point and the scaling up of individual renewable projects, has not been considered.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metal Requirements for Building Electrical Grid Systems of Global Wind Power and Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic until 2050

Chen

Kleijn

Lin

2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) power form vital parts of the energy transition toward renewable energy systems. The rapid development of these two renewables represents an enormous infrastructure construction task including both power generation and its associated electrical grid systems, which will generate demand for metal resources. However, most research on material demands has focused on their power generation systems (wind turbines and PV panels), and few have studied the associated electrical grid systems. Here, we estimate the global metal demands for electrical grid systems associated with wind and utility-scale PV power by 2050, using dynamic material flow analysis based on International Energy Agency’s energy scenarios and the typical engineering parameters of transmission grids. Results show that the associated electrical grids require large quantities of metals: 27–81 Mt of copper cumulatively, followed by 20–67 Mt of steel and 11–31 Mt of aluminum. Electrical grids built for solar PV have the largest metal demand, followed by offshore and onshore wind. Power cables are the most metal-consuming electrical components compared to substations and transformers. We also discuss the decommissioning issue of electrical grids and their recovery potential. This study would deepen the understanding of the nexus between renewable energy, grid infrastructure, and metal resources.

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Material stocks in global electricity infrastructures – An empirical analysis of the power sector's stock-flow-service nexus

Cited by 35 publications

References 86 publications

Tracing Metal Footprints Through Global Renewable-Power Value Chains

Tracing Metal Footprints Through Global Renewable-Power Value Chains

The Materials Science behind Sustainable Metals and Alloys

Metal Requirements for Building Electrical Grid Systems of Global Wind Power and Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic until 2050

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