Fossil-based infrastructure as a source of raw materials for the energy transition
Key Takeaway:
An Empa study shows that decommissioned fossil fuel infrastructure can provide important metallic raw materials for renewable energy technologies. The focus is on steel and copper from coal mines, oil and gas platforms, fossil fuel power stations and pipelines.
The key points in brief:
- Researchers at Empa have analysed the material stocks of 22 raw materials in fossil fuel energy infrastructure.
- According to the study, recycling could meet the entire demand for steel and around a third of the demand for copper required for the energy transition.
- According to Empa, the recovery of steel and copper could save between four and eleven trillion US dollars in externalised costs by 2050.
Fossil infrastructure as an urban mine
Large quantities of materials are required for the transformation of the energy supply. Solar cells, wind turbines, power lines and electrolysers for hydrogen production require, amongst other things, metals and mineral raw materials. At the same time, with the gradual phase-out of fossil fuels, part of the existing infrastructure will no longer be needed to the same extent as before.
Researchers at Empa, the ETH Domain’s interdisciplinary research institute for materials science and technology, have investigated whether this fossil-fuel infrastructure can serve as a source of raw materials for the energy transition. The focus was on coal mines, oil and gas platforms, fossil-fuel power stations and large pipelines.
The study was carried out as part of the EU ‘CircEUlar’ project and was published in the journal ‘Nature Communications’. The research team analysed the stocks of 22 different materials contained within the existing fossil fuel infrastructure. The aim was to better assess the potential of this so-called ‘urban mine’.
Empa researcher Hauke Schlesier, the study’s lead author, describes the starting point of the investigation as follows: “To understand the potential of this ‘urban mine’, we first need to know which materials it contains.”
Steel and copper take centre stage
Two raw materials stand out in particular from the materials examined: steel and copper. Both are present in large quantities in fossil-fuel infrastructure and are also required for new energy infrastructures.
According to Empa, copper is used in transformers and cables, amongst other things. Steel is required for structural elements. According to the study, recycling fossil-fuel infrastructure could meet the total demand for steel and around a third of the demand for copper for the energy transition.
The gradual phasing out of fossil-fuel infrastructure could generate additional material streams for recycling. According to the researchers’ calculations, the capacity of global recycling plants would be sufficient to recover the copper and steel required for the energy transition.
Recycling can reduce environmental impact
The study assesses the recycling of steel and copper from fossil-fuel infrastructure as ecologically and economically sound. The researchers point out that the primary extraction of both metals is associated with significant environmental impacts.
According to Empa, steel production generates slag, particulate matter and large quantities of carbon dioxide. Copper mines can produce toxic waste. Recycling, by contrast, primarily requires electricity: steel is melted down in electric furnaces, whilst copper can be recovered through an electrochemical process.
From a macroeconomic perspective, the study describes the reuse of existing steel and copper stocks as beneficial. The researchers emphasise that starting recycling at an early stage could lead to lower follow-on costs. This refers to so-called externalised costs, i.e. environmental and health damage that is not directly reflected in the market prices of raw materials.
According to Empa, recycling steel and copper from fossil-fuel-based infrastructure could save between four and eleven trillion US dollars in externalised costs by 2050. Furthermore, according to the study, up to two billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents could be avoided. Empa equates this amount to approximately 50 years’ worth of Swiss emissions.
At the same time, the source text points out that recycling itself is no more expensive than the primary production of steel and copper. The study therefore describes the process as competitive.
Conclusion:
The Empa study shows that fossil fuel energy infrastructure can not only be decommissioned but also regarded as a source of raw materials. Steel and copper, in particular, could make a significant contribution to the development of renewable energy infrastructure following recycling. However, according to the original text, whether this potential is realised depends largely on suitable incentives and the gradual replacement of fossil-fuel-based plants with clean energy technologies.
FAQ
Which materials from fossil-fuel infrastructure are particularly relevant to the energy transition?
The Empa study highlights steel and copper in particular. Both materials are present in large quantities in fossil-fuel infrastructure and are also required for renewable energy infrastructure.
Where could recycled steel from fossil-fuel infrastructure be used?
According to the source text, recycled steel could be used, amongst other things, in mounting systems for solar panels, in wind turbines, in power lines and in electrolysers for hydrogen production.
Why does the study consider the recycling of steel and copper to be beneficial?
The researchers point out that recycling can be more environmentally friendly than primary production. According to Empa, this could help avoid externalised costs and CO₂ equivalents.
