Green energy will cause a rare metals crisis. Free Technical Library News

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Green energy will cause a crisis of rare metals

19.03.2012

A study published in Environmental Science and Technology says that the switch to clean energy sources will cause a supply crisis for scarce metals. And these materials are very important for modern industry.

For example, two rare earth metals, dysprosium and neodymium, are key to modern wind turbine and electric vehicle technologies. A large-scale transition from coal-fired power plants and gasoline cars to windmills and electric vehicles could lead to an increase in demand for these two already scarce metals, which, moreover, are mainly mined in one country - China. Demand could grow by 600-2600% over the next 25 years, with today's dysprosium and neodymium production increasing by only a few percent a year.

Today, some governments and industrial companies are expressing concern about the sustainability of the supply of 17 rare earth elements, which are used to manufacture aircraft equipment, lasers, medical devices, and more. Without these materials, it is impossible to continue the development of environmentally friendly technologies and reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to the level of 450 parts per million.

A team of scientists led by Randolph Kirchein analyzed the supply of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium and yttrium under various scenarios for the development of the economic situation and progress. They predicted the demand for these 10 rare earths until 2035. In one scenario, demand for dysprosium and neodymium could increase by 2600% and 700% respectively. To meet this need, the production of, for example, dysprosium must double every year. Despite impressive progress in expanding the production of rare earth materials, it will be very difficult to achieve such a figure.

Scientists believe that the crisis can only be avoided by replacing rare earth materials with cheaper and more common ones, as well as by recycling waste.

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