{"id":140299,"date":"2025-05-30T07:56:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T04:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/yleinen\/critical-minerals-for-the-energy-transition-the-case-for-responsible-mining-and-increased-circularity\/"},"modified":"2025-05-30T07:56:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T04:56:14","slug":"critical-minerals-for-the-energy-transition-the-case-for-responsible-mining-and-increased-circularity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/yleinen\/critical-minerals-for-the-energy-transition-the-case-for-responsible-mining-and-increased-circularity\/","title":{"rendered":"Critical minerals for the energy transition: The case for responsible mining and increased circularity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mp_wrapper\">\n  <div class=\"mepr-unauthorized-message\">\n    <p>You are unauthorized to view this page.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"mepr-login-form-wrap\">\n            \n<div class=\"mp_wrapper mp_login_form\">\n                  <!-- mp-login-form-start -->     <form name=\"mepr_loginform\" id=\"mepr_loginform\" class=\"mepr-form\" action=\"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/login-2\/\" method=\"post\">\n            <div class=\"mp-form-row mepr_username\">\n        <div class=\"mp-form-label\">\n                              <label for=\"user_login\">Username<\/label>\n        <\/div>\n        <input type=\"text\" name=\"log\" id=\"user_login\" value=\"\" \/>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"mp-form-row mepr_password\">\n        <div class=\"mp-form-label\">\n          <label for=\"user_pass\">Password<\/label>\n          <div class=\"mp-hide-pw\">\n            <input type=\"password\" name=\"pwd\" id=\"user_pass\" value=\"\" \/>\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"button mp-hide-pw hide-if-no-js\" data-toggle=\"0\" aria-label=\"Show password\">\n              <span class=\"dashicons dashicons-visibility\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n            <\/button>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n            <div>\n        <label><input name=\"rememberme\" type=\"checkbox\" id=\"rememberme\" value=\"forever\" \/> Remember Me<\/label>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"mp-spacer\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n      <div class=\"submit\">\n        <input type=\"submit\" name=\"wp-submit\" id=\"wp-submit\" class=\"button-primary mepr-share-button \" value=\"Log In\" \/>\n        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"redirect_to\" value=\"\/fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140299\" \/>\n        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"mepr_process_login_form\" value=\"true\" \/>\n        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"mepr_is_login_page\" value=\"false\" \/>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/form>\n    <div class=\"mp-spacer\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n    <div class=\"mepr-login-actions\">\n        <a\n          href=\"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/login-2\/?action=forgot_password\"\n          title=\"Click here to reset your password\"\n        >\n          Forgot Password        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n\n      \n    <!-- mp-login-form-end --> \n  <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"smart_content_wrapper\">\n<p>The increasing demand for critical minerals necessitates a concerted effort to scale recycling, writes ICMM\u2019s innovation director Bryony Clear Hill. But recycled materials will never meet 100% of the demand, so a renewed focus on more responsible primary production is also needed.<\/p>\n<p>At COP28, nearly 120 nations made a landmark commitment to triple the world\u2019s installed renewable energy generation capacity by 2030. But relying solely on either mining or recycling to supply the minerals and metals needed to build this infrastructure will be impossible. In this article, we outline how a combined approach \u2014 responsible \u2018primary\u2019 mining, which ensures mines are built or expanded in ways that respect both people and the environment, alongside increased \u2018secondary\u2019 recovery of metals \u2014 can meet this growing demand for critical minerals sustainably.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>The need for circularity<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nBy 2040, the use of nickel and cobalt is projected to grow 20-fold to support an increasingly electrified world, while total copper demand is expected to double between 2020 and 2050. Alongside the energy transition, ongoing infrastructure development and the expansion of the artificial intelligence (AI) sector are also boosting demand for these metals.<\/p>\n<p>Simply increasing the amount of primary mining is not a quick-fix solution \u2013 the development of a new mine can take 10 to 20 years from initial exploration to full production, and between 145\u2013245 new mine sites are needed merely to meet expected demand for the five key energy transition materials (copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt, and graphite) by 2030. This leaves a significant short-term supply gap.<\/p>\n<p>Raising the supply of secondary materials through recovery and recycling can help in meeting some of the demand for critical minerals, but only to a limited extent. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that a growth in recycling capabilities could lower the need for new mining activity by 25-40% by 2050 if national climate pledges are to be met. In the short term, the impact is even less pronounced, with estimates showing that less than 10% of demand for the energy transition is likely to be met through recycling by 2030. Combining primary mining with secondary recoveries is therefore essential in meeting the growing demand for critical minerals in a timely and sustainable manner.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Industry challenges and opportunities<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\nMeeting the increasing needs of the energy transition cannot come at the expense of the environment or the people who are impacted by mines. Circularity strategies can play a key role in advancing responsible primary mining and many mining companies have already begun implementing circular practices using expertise and infrastructure to recover valuable materials from secondary sources.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Rio Tinto\u2019s Aluminium Waste Initiative in Canada offers an innovative process for waste repurposing from aluminium production. Sulphur dioxide emissions are captured and converted into a solid product that can be used as a soil additive for agriculture. Other examples of circularity being applied to traditional mining processes include several technologies applied by miners globally to repurpose, retread and recycle tyres from mine trucks.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, Glencore\u2019s North American operations have demonstrated the potential of circularity by recycling 31,700 tonnes of copper, 115,000 tonnes of zinc, and 6,200 tonnes of nickel from secondary supplies, including electronic waste. A key driver behind the adaption of circular approaches is the bottom line. Companies can reduce costs by maximising efficiencies and even create additional profits by redirecting potential waste streams into commercial opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond just the economics, improving the circularity and efficiency of on-site processes can also help companies meet their sustainability targets, including climate commitments. Additionally, circularity often creates benefits on a regional level. For example, many mining companies are selling by-products such as slag to local construction industries, supporting local economies and strengthening relationships with communities<\/p>\n<p>However, adopting circularity is not without its challenges. The economics are not always straightforward \u2013 byproducts from mining can often be low value and high volume, so a local market is essential to make the numbers stack up. Metal value chains are complex, which can create challenges for product circularity. Mining companies are often a number of steps away from the manufacturer of a final product and so facilitating recovery of the end product is complex. Finally, few policies or regulations to promote the circularity of metals are in place at present and we encourage policymakers to consult and include mining in circular economy strategies.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edie.net\/critical-minerals-for-the-energy-transition-the-case-for-responsible-mining-and-increased-circularity\/\">Read more&gt;&gt;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edie.net\/critical-minerals-for-the-energy-transition-the-case-for-responsible-mining-and-increased-circularity\/\">edie.net<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/vastuullisuusuutiset.fi\/fi\/environmental-news-en\/critical-minerals-for-the-energy-transition-the-case-for-responsible-mining-and-increased-circularity\/\">Critical minerals for the energy transition: The case for responsible mining and increased circularity<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/vastuullisuusuutiset.fi\/fi\">Vastuullisuusuutiset.fi<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,1],"tags":[18498,575,18951,655],"class_list":["post-140299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-yleinen","tag-critical-minerals","tag-environmental-news-en","tag-the-energy-transition","tag-yleinen"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140299\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tietopankki.crnet.fi\/fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}