Critical Minerals for Clean Energy
The global transition to clean energy requires massive increases in critical mineral production. Understanding these supply chains is essential for mining companies, investors and policymakers.
Key Minerals
Lithium:
- Primary input for lithium-ion batteries
- Supplied from hard rock (Australia) and brine (Chile, Argentina)
- Demand growing 20-30% annually
Cobalt:
- Critical for lithium-ion battery cathodes
- DRC dominates global supply (70%+)
- Supply chain concentration a concern
Nickel:
- High-nickel batteries for longer range EVs
- Class 1 nickel demand increasing rapidly
- Indonesia leading new production growth
Critical Minerals Supply Chain
Investment Needs
Meeting projected demand will require:
- Significant new mining project development
- Processing capacity expansion
- Infrastructure investment in mining regions
- Research into recycling and substitution
WSHT supports critical mineral projects with processing equipment and technical expertise across the mineral processing value chain.
