Minnesota’s “warm winter” is a reminder that our climate is changing in ways that are negative for the environment we revere, enjoy and responsibly use.
To address this risk, Minnesota now has an ambitious goal of 100% of its energy coming from clean sources by 2040. Now comes the hard part. How?
The practicalities of building clean energy systems like wind, solar, hydrogen, geothermal, transmission and battery storage are confounding for some: all these clean energy systems require minerals like nickel, copper and platinum to create or deliver the electrons produced without emissions.
A single wind turbine requires up to 4.7 tons of copper, and an electric vehicle battery can contain up to 80 kilograms of nickel. A hydrogen electrolyzer, the equipment that converts water to hydrogen, requires platinum group metals. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global supply of minerals like copper and nickel needs to increase by a staggering 40% by 2040 to meet the requirements of clean energy systems.
As the demand for clean energy technologies surges, so does the need for these minerals. It’s just math.
Some more math: the clean energy transition requires mining for these materials. There is no way around it. Recycling old phones and computers from the “drawer of doom” won’t cut it. The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) has concurred that there are not enough minerals in circulation to build the clean energy systems required for a complete transition.
However, recycling is crucial if we want a responsible and secure supply chain for clean energy. We need every means possible to supply the minerals required to meet our clean energy ambitions today and create a future system that is circular. Future generations, perhaps in 2060 or 2070, may enjoy a circular system that completely relies on recycling of minerals and metals to build new clean energy systems. What we are able to responsibly mine today is in fact a contribution to future generations ability to rely less on mining. Building up recycling infrastructure and creating strong policies is also a contribution to future generations’ ability to enjoy a circular system.
Minnesota is uniquely positioned to both supply minerals and metals from the earth, for their first use in clean energy systems, and also create the infrastructure and systems to recover these minerals and metals for their second, third and fourth use. That’s the big difference between extracting minerals from the earth and extracting fossil fuels. The minerals we mine today are infinitely recyclable.
Minnesota has abundant mineral resources that hold significant reserves of nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group metals. Our ability to responsibly mine Minnesota’s rich supply of minerals is bolstered by the fact we have the strongest environmental laws in the country, so that we can mine critical minerals while protecting the environment and cultural resources.
Support for a new system to encourage recycling electronics and batteries is currently being considered by the Legislature. Refinements are still being considered, but ultimately the Legislature should pass legislation that supports building an electronic and battery recycling industry and establishes a new Critical Minerals Recovery Task Force. The state should also implement policies that require that minerals in the clean energy systems it purchases or are deployed in the state use tracking and tracing technology to validate the minerals used were produced at high standards. What’s the sense buying batteries that contain nickel that was produced by razing and entire rainforest in Indonesia?
The mineral intensity of clean energy systems is unsettling for some. But we need to find agreement on how and where we can support mining these minerals for their first useful life, while we also build up recycling systems to ensure we use them again and again. It’s just math. We need both mining and recycling if we are going to meet goals like 100% Clean Energy by 2040.
Todd Malan is Chief External Affairs Officer and Head of Climate Strategy at Talon Metals.
