Material Intensity Across Various Energy Technologies 2023

The transition to renewable and sustainable energy technologies brings into focus the criticality and scarcity of materials required. This paper aims to quantify the log-weighted material intensity across various energy technologies.

This article investigates the material intensity of various energy technologies by incorporating the rarity of the materials. Data from RTE's FUTURS ÉNERGÉTIQUES 2050 and the EU's list of Critical Raw Materials (2020) were used for the analysis.

Calculation Material intensity is weighted by the negative logarithm (base 10) of the rarity factor.

Table1

Material: This column lists the materials used in different energy technologies, such as Aluminium, Cuivre (Copper), Acier (Steel), etc. Technology Columns: Each of these columns represents an energy technology, like "Nucleaire" (Nuclear), "Photo-voltaïque au sol" (Ground-mounted Photovoltaic), etc. The values in these columns are the log-weighted material intensities calculated for each material in that specific technology. For example, let's consider Aluminium in Nuclear technology. The value in the table is calculated by taking the material intensity of Aluminium in Nuclear technology from the RTE's data and then weighting it by the negative logarithm of its rarity factor from the EU's list of Critical Raw Materials (2020). The log-weighting enhances the impact of rare materials, making the numbers more representative of the challenges or risks associated with sourcing these materials. It helps in understanding not just the volume but also the criticality of materials required for each technology.

Examples :

Results

Discussion The log-weighting amplifies the importance of rare materials, thereby providing a more nuanced understanding of material criticality in energy technologies. Technologies such as floating offshore wind and fixed offshore wind exhibit high total log-weighted material intensities, implying greater supply chain risks and overall system fragility.

Conclusion Understanding the log-weighted material intensity provides insights into the robustness and sustainability of various energy technologies. Decision-makers and policy planners can use this metric to make more informed choices in technology adoption and materials sourcing.

References RTE - FUTURS ÉNERGÉTIQUES 2050. EU's list of Critical Raw Materials (2020).