Renewable energy is becoming more and more critical as the world looks to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. However, a lack of understanding about the critical mineral commodities needed for renewable energy projects can delay their deployment.

Mineral resources critical to the economy but whose supply could be disrupted are known as critical minerals. The "criticality" of a particular one shifts overtime when it comes to minerals. In the past, salt was a vital mineral, such as table salt. Critical minerals in high-tech industries have become increasingly important in recent years. Other metals like lithium, indium, tellurium, and gallium are also included.

 Here are some critical minerals required for renewables:

What are some of the essential minerals for renewable energy?

Renewable energy sources are becoming more widely used in the world today. Critical minerals are essential for renewable energy generation, and there is an increasing need to know about these minerals. Critical minerals can be defined as those that play a crucial role in producing goods to support human society or depend on other metals that meet these criteria. Critical minerals are often called rare earth elements (REE).

Wind power is an increasingly popular source of renewable energy that uses turbines to produce electricity from the kinetic power of the wind. Critical Minerals used for this industry include:

• Rare earth elements (RE) such as praseodymium and dysprosium are used for magnets and balance of plant equipment and magnesium and titanium alloys.
  • Copper, silver, steel alloys, aluminum, molybdenum, nickel, zinc, and other metal alloys.
• The material requirements per 1MW wind turbine are shown in the table below.
• Solar power is another renewable energy source that uses solar panels to produce electricity from sunlight.

How do these minerals affect our environment?

- Mining: The energy used throughout the mining process significantly impacts the environment. It takes a lot of energy to heat quartz rock and release silicon atoms from their bonds, and m must process nickel and copper through mining. Not only does this result in a release of greenhouse gases, but it can also result in water and soil pollution.

- Recycling: Recycling metals is more energy-intensive than mining them from the earth's crust. It releases pollutants into the atmosphere and needs to use new materials that will then need to be mined again.

Uses of Critical Mineral Commodities in Renewable Energy

Solar panels and wind turbines are now essential in the current quest for renewable energy. While many people know about how they work, little is known about the materials required to make them.

In today's world, where environmental impact is becoming increasingly important in our everyday lives, knowing about these materials can help us make informed decisions on how to protect the environment best while still providing us with enough energy.

Material Used for Solar Panels

Silicon is an abundant material that makes up 25% of the earth's crust; however, only pure silicon is used (99%) in photovoltaic cells.

To use it in photovoltaic cells, it needs to go through several steps: melting quartz rock, refining the silicon, and turning it into polysilicon. It can also be recycled, unlike many other minerals such as oil. The process of refining silicon is harmful to the environment.

Polluting gasses like carbon dioxide and methane are released into the atmosphere when quartz rock is melted down to release pure silicon. At the same time, energy-intensive processes mean that using recycled scrap materials instead could reduce its environmental impact by a fifth.

Material Used for Wind Turbines

The material used in wind turbines varies depending on where you look. However, three materials are generally needed: iron or steel for the turbine's mechanical system, nickel alloys for its generator, and copper wiring throughout.

It needs to be refined, taking up even more energy and releasing pollutants into the environment (The Economist Intelligence Unit). Copper is mined worldwide; while there are many recycling programs, failing to recycle copper can increase its environmental impact by over ten times.

Materials Used for Batteries

Batteries used in renewable energy devices like solar panels and wind turbines need metals like lithium and cobalt. Lithium is only found in specific places on earth, mainly in Tibet and Bolivia. Mining operations have caused water contamination.

A plant even uses pure lithium in its battery, which can be harmful to the body if it's not processed correctly. Cobalt is also mined in very few places worldwide and has been historically linked to child labor.

There are also concerns that as demand for cobalt grows, artisanal mines could begin using more environmentally damaging practices like acid drainage,

Conclusion

Renewable energy is a popular topic these days. But what are some of the essential minerals for renewable energy? How do they affect our environment? We hope you learned something new! This article will explore how critical mineral commodities can be used in renewable energy and why it’s essential to consider them part of your sustainable business plan.