At the heart of the energy transition is a metal transition.
At the heart of the energy transition is a metal transition. Wind farms, solar panels, and electric cars require many times more copper, zinc, and nickel than their gas-powered alternatives. They also require more exotic metals with unique properties, known as rare earth elements, which are essential for the magnets that go into things like wind turbines and EV motors.
Today, China dominates the processing of rare earth elements, refining around 60 percent of those materials for the world. With demand for such materials forecasted to skyrocket, the Biden administration has said the situation poses national and economic security threats.
Substantial quantities of rare earth metals are sitting unused in the United States and many other parts of the world today. The catch is they’re mixed with vast quantities of toxic mining waste.
Read more at: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"Being able to make your own materials domestically means that you're not at the behest of a foreign monopoly," says co-founder Tomás Villalón ’14, pictured. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Phoenix Tailings)
