Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Araghchi to Grossi: These parties will bear responsibility for the consequences of their actions
Araghchi to Grossi: Iran will respond to any unlawful action by European countries or parties attempting to turn the Agency into a tool for achieving their objectives
Araghchi to Grossi: We urge the Agency to warn against the consequences of any political move against Iran
Araghchi to Grossi: We call on the Agency to highlight Iran’s full cooperation during the upcoming Board of Governors meeting next week
Araghchi to Grossi: We demand that the Agency reflect the facts in a manner that prevents certain parties from exploiting it to advance their political agendas
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a phone call with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi
Trump envoy Witkoff has sent 'detailed and acceptable proposal' to Iran for nuclear deal; it's in their best interest to accept it: White House Press Secretary Leavitt
Hamas official says Witkoff's position toward group was 'unfair' and shows 'complete bias' to 'Israel'
Hamas official says it has considered Witkoff's proposal acceptable for negotiations, says 'Israel's' response was incompatible with what the group agreed on
Hamas official says group has not rejected Wikoff's proposal for Gaza ceasefire

US to face mineral shortages amid boost in electric car production

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 10 Aug 2023 09:47
4 Min Read

An assessment by the US Department of Energy states that critical mineral demand will need to increase by 600% by 2040 to achieve net zero by 2050.

  • x
  • Refined tellurium is shown at the Rio Tinto Kennecott refinery Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in Magna, Utah (AP)
    Refined tellurium is shown at the Rio Tinto Kennecott refinery on May 11, 2022, in Magna, Utah (AP)

According to experts, new clean energy strategies need to be developed by the US to reduce dependence on critical minerals as a result of shortages and to avert China’s supply chain dominance.  

In the US Department of Energy (DOE)'s assessment last week, the list of critical materials was expanded to define those indispensable to the clean energy transition with a high risk of supply shortage, and six new elements were added. 

The list, per the DOE, will keep expanding as the globe races to net-zero emissions. The department highlighted the importance of establishing dependent critical mineral supply chains necessary for energy security.

Among the critical minerals were nickel, platinum, and silicon carbide, which were added next to lithium and magnesium in the medium term (2025-2035), while graphite, terbium, and iridium join cobalt, gallium, dysprosium, and neodymium as those considered critical in both the short and medium term (from now until 2035).

The status of copper and aluminum was transferred from non-critical to "near critical" in the medium term due to their necessity for electrification across a wide spectrum.

Read next: US moves closer to Mongolia to access country's minerals

Citing data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the DOE's assessment stated that critical mineral demand will need to increase by 600% by 2040 to achieve net zero by 2050. The supply shortage in critical minerals comes amid the development of electric vehicles, which the IEA claims could account for 60% of all auto sales by 2030.

Now, China is the leading nation for the production of 30 of 50 minerals which the US Geological Survey classified as critical with vulnerable supply chains.

Related News

US Envoy calls Hamas ceasefire response 'totally unacceptable'

17 Palestinians killed in US-Israeli designated aid zones in Gaza

A scarcity scare 

Business strategy consultant for Artax Consulting, Jonathan Poston, said: "Rare earth elements are a group of 17 elements that are essential for a wide range of clean energy technologies, including magnets, batteries, and catalysts." He further explained that "China is the world's leading producer of rare earth elements, along with graphite - critical to lithium-ion batteries - and there are concerns about China's control of the global supply chain."
 
A prediction by Poston, who has taught geopolitics and trade at universities in Ecuador, Belize and China, shows that domestic mining will increase in the US in a bid to close the gap, while looking for alternatives.

"New technologies will also emerge that reduce the need for critical minerals, such as battery tech that doesn't use lithium-ion," he said, believing that the US will need to resort to a multilateral approach to tackle the matter as resource sharing through global alliances and ventures will prove more important to secure mineral supplies.

The availability of cobalt, which is used in the manufacture of high-performance magnets, and is essential for electric vehicles and wind turbines, is a matter of worry, according to Poston, who voiced concerns about the political stability and human rights record in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is the world's leading producer of cobalt. 

California's Mountain Pass, owned by MP Materials, remains the only integrated rare-earth mining facility in the US as it currently ships to China for refinement and final processing.

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence claims that China refines almost 90% of the world's neodymium and praseodymium. Meanwhile, MP Materials has recently and finally begun processing rare earth minerals on its own, hoping to deliver to GM electric motor magnets by the end of this year. 

Read more: Beijing to ban export of rare earth metals in response to sanctions

Brookings Institution scholar Michael O’Hanlon, a Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board member, told Sputnik that reserves in the US have declined 90% since the end of the Cold War, adding that it could "beef it up" as it struggles to establish diversified supply chains.

Pentagon's strategic materials team argues that the reserves' aim is to "decrease and preclude dependence upon foreign sources or single points of failure for strategic materials in times of national emergency." 

47 commodities - including cobalt, platinum, palladium, iridium, and zinc, along with other base and precious metals are currently stored in the Defense Department.

  • United States
  • Lithium
  • electric vehicles
  • Net Zero
  • critical minerals

Most Read

US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump tensions

US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump pressures

  • US & Canada
  • 25 May 2025
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive to a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington (AP)

Rift widens: Trump, Netanyahu clash in heated phone call over Iran

  • Politics
  • 26 May 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
MIT bans class president who gave pro-Palestine speech
US & Canada

MIT bans class president over pro-Palestine speech

Arab ministers condemn Israel 'ban' on planned West Bank visit
Politics

Arab ministers condemn Israeli ban on planned West Bank visit

Major General Hu Gangfeng, Vice President, National Defense University, People's Liberation Army, China, leaves after a panel discussion during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Politics

China blasts Hegseth, calls US top 'troublemaker' in Asia-Pacific

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: Reports
Technology

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: NBC News

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS