Copper ore
Redraw the transportation roadmap now
A timebomb in copper mining should prompt policymakers to rethink road transport before battery-electric vehicles go down a dangerous dead end
Climate policies assume the copper required to transition to zero carbon emissions is plentiful. That may be so, but the problem is it cannot be mined fast enough to electrify in a meaningful way. Hybrids, not full battery-electric vehicles, are the answer. A report by the International Energy Forum (IEF), an institution that brings together producers and consumers, has highlighted the risks of pursuing a full electric vehicle (EV) rollout by Western countries in the next ten years. EVs require 60kg of copper compared with an internal combustion engine automobile, which needs 24kg copper, and hybrids, which need 29kg. While the copper resources are available, 100% manufacture of EVs by 2035
Also in this section
27 February 2026
LNG would serve as a backup supply source as domestic gas declines and the country’s energy system comes under stress during periods of low hydropower output and high energy demand
27 February 2026
The assumption that oil markets will re-route and work around sanctions is being tested, and it is the physical infrastructure that is acting as the constraint
27 February 2026
The 25th WPC Energy Congress to take place in tandem as part of a coordinated week of high-level ministerial, institutional and industry engagements
27 February 2026
The deepwater sector must be brave by fast-tracking projects and making progress to seize huge offshore opportunities and not become bogged down by capacity constraints and consolidation
