The “Metal-Energy-Construction Mineral” Nexus in the Island Metabolism: The Case of the Extractive Economy of New Caledonia

Abstract

The concept of island metabolism strives to implement the principles of social ecology at the island scale. It is, therefore, a question of analyzing the flows of materials and energy passing through these territories, as well as the resource base needed to sustain their activities. We propose to develop a nexus approach to the New Caledonian island metabolism to understand the interactions between biophysical structures and societal, as well as economic, activities. Metals, construction minerals, and energy are good symbols of economies based on the extraction of non-renewable resources. This is why, in this article, we sought to investigate how the “metal-energy-construction mineral” nexus can affect the resilience and metabolic sustainability of the extractive island of New Caledonia. We carried out the Material and Energy Flow Analysis (MEFA) of each nexus subsystem for 2016 and of the nodes of interdependence. We also interrogated the role of importing countries because the island’s metabolism is dominated by the nickel extraction industry. Indeed, the metabolic profile of this island corresponds to the one of a supply territory for other consumption territories. The latter outsource the impacts of their own consumption to New Caledonia. Finally, based on interviews with economic stakeholders, we studied the potential building blocks for the emergence of an industrial symbiosis in the nexus.

Analyzing Socio-Metabolic Vulnerability: Evidence from the Comoros Archipelago

“…Comparing Ndzuwani’s metabolism with other islands (Table 2 ), we find the former’s use of materials is very low (Singh et al 2001 ; Krausmann et al 2014 ; Martinico-Perez et al 2018 ; CEREMA 2019 ; Bahers et al 2020 ). For example, the DMC of Ndzuwani is 1.5 t/cap/yr, quite low as compared to the Philippines (6 t/cap), Trinidad Tobago (17 t/cap), and New Caledonia (29 t/cap).…”

“…An early MFA was for Trinket Island (India) (Singh et al 2001 ; Singh and Grünbühel 2003 ), the same case later compared to the rise in material and energy consumption caused by excessive aid following the 2004 Asian tsunami (Singh and Haas 2016 ; Fetzel et al 2018 ). Other notable “flow” studies on islands are Cuba (Eisenhut 2009 ), Iceland, Trinidad and Tobago (Krausmann et al 2014 ), Malta (Conrad and Cassar 2014 ), the Philippines (Martinico-Perez et al 2018 ), Hawaii (Chertow et al 2020 ), New Caledonia (Bahers et al 2020 ), and more recently, an investigation of long-term biomass flows in the Caribbean (Rahman et al 2022 ).…”

Prospective Life Cycle Assessment at Early Stage of Product Development: Application to Nickel Slag Valorization Into Cement for the Construction Sector

“…As one of the five largest nickel producers in the world, New-Caledonia produces several million tons of slag per year, which is currently valorized in small quantities as sand. Pyrometallurgical facilities have indeed a high energy demand, especially for pre-drying, calcination and reduction by fusion (Bahers et al, 2020).…”

Waste colonialism and metabolic flows in island territories

“…The aim is to compare material metabolisms and the socioeconomic functioning of these territories, as well as to confront existing data with field observations. The method consists in measuring the input and output balances of material, energy, and waste covering all economic sectors (extraction, industry, agriculture, households) in each territory, based on data collected by the authors (Bahers et al, 2019;Bahers et al, 2020)) and other experts (Cornélus et al, 2016). These balances provide indicators of material demand, material consumption, and emissions per capita, which gives a basis for comparison.…”

“…Figure 2: Metabolic indicators per capita for Ndzuwani, Réunion, and New Caledonia. Source:Bahers et al, (2019Bahers et al, ( , 2020;Cornélus et al, (2016) …”