Mineral supplies a key for renewables, expert says at W&J energy webinar
Solar, wind and batteries for electric vehicles and storage are generally considered to be the major sources of renewable energy.
Don’t forget minerals, Dr. Nedal T. Nassar says.
That was the topic that Nassar, an official with the U.S. Geological Survey, discussed on Tuesday afternoon during a virtual webinar presented by the Center for Energy Policy and Management at Washington & Jefferson College.
“High Demand, Uncertain Supply: Critical Minerals and Renewable Energy” was the title of the latest installment in CEPM’s Energy Lecture Series.
Nassar is chief of the Materials Flow Analysis Section at the National Minerals Information Center for USGS. In a science-heavy lecture, he stressed that the nation needs a sufficient supply of critical minerals and rare earth metals to accommodate a rising demand for renewable energy.
He said this at a time President Joe Biden is pursuing policies to combat global warming.
“Mineral commodities are essential for many conventional and renewable energy applications,” Nassar said early in his presentation, which drew an ample audience that included representatives of Stanford and Cornell universities.
Energy produced by renewables is carbon-free. But to get the most out of solar, wind and batteries, there is a need for critical minerals, including arsenic, magnesium, graphite, lithium – and rare earth metals. Minerals are used to construct solar panels, wind turbines and batteries, and they have to be mined.
Because the nation depends largely on other countries – including China, Canada and Mexico – for these resources, there are national security and environmental concerns.
During a question-and-answer session near the close, Nassar was asked whether the recycling of certain electronics could narrow a gap in need. “Yes,” he responded. “Take the mobile phone. Everybody has one and switches it out every few years. If we collect and recycle, we can close the loop on commodities with environmental benefits and potential.”
Another individual asked whether research has shown that landfills can be a resource for energy. Nassar said there is potential, but challenges would be formidable. “You’d want to capture (potential resources) before they get there.”