Materials scarcity during the clean energy transition: Myths, challenges, and opportunities

Efforts to reach net zero targets by the second half of the century will have profound materials supply implications. The anticipated scale and speed of the energy transition in both transportation and energy storage raises the question of whether we risk running out of the essential critical materi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:MRS energy & sustainability Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 173 - 180
Main Authors: Ku, Anthony Y., Kocs, Elizabeth A., Fujita, Yoshiko, Haddad, Andrew Z., Gray, Robert W.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.03.2024
Springer Nature B.V
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subjects:
Chemistry and Materials Science
Clean energy
Clean technology
Community
Economics and Management
Efficiency
Electric vehicles
Energy industry
Energy Materials
Energy Policy
Energy storage
Energy technology
Energy transition
Innovations
Lithium
Manufacturing
Materials Engineering
Materials research
Materials Science
Materials selection
Perspective
R&D
Renewable and Green Energy
Research & development
Scarcity
Shortages
Steel production
Strategic materials
Supply chains
Sustainable Development
United States > US
Europe
society
corporate/business
sustainability
outreach
critical materials
ISSN:2329-2237, 2329-2229, 2329-2237
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Efforts to reach net zero targets by the second half of the century will have profound materials supply implications. The anticipated scale and speed of the energy transition in both transportation and energy storage raises the question of whether we risk running out of the essential critical materials needed to enable this transition. Early projections suggest that disruptions are likely to occur in the short term for select critical materials, but at the same time these shortages provide a powerful incentive for the market to respond in a variety of ways before supply-level stress becomes dire. In April 2023, the MRS Focus on Sustainability subcommittee sponsored a panel discussion on the role of innovation in materials science and engineering in supporting supply chains for clean energy technologies. Drawing on examples from the panel discussion, this perspective examines the myth of materials scarcity, explains the compelling need for innovation in materials in helping supply chains dynamically adapt over time, and illustrates how the Materials Research Society is facilitating engagement with industry to support materials innovation, now and in the future. Graphical Abstract Highlights In this commentary, we examine the myth of materials scarcity, explain the compelling need for innovation in materials in helping supply chains dynamically adapt over time, and show how the materials research community can effectively engage with industry, policymakers, and funding agencies to drive the needed innovation in critical areas. Discussion Demand for certain materials used in clean energy technologies is forecasted to increase by multiples of current production over the next decades. This has drawn attention to supply chain risks and has created a myth that we will “run out” out of certain materials during the energy transition. The reality is that markets have multiple mechanisms to adapt over the long-term, and near-term shortages or expectations of shortages provide a powerful incentive for action. In this commentary, we highlight different ways materials innovation can help solve these issues in the near term and long term, and how the materials research community can effectively engage with industry and policymakers.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
USDOE
ISSN:2329-2237
2329-2229
2329-2237
DOI:10.1557/s43581-023-00077-9