Average Material Intensity for Various Modes of Electricity Production

The previous chapter showed that major energy sectors have significant and varied mineral resource requirements. In this chapter, we attempt to quantify the need for some “structural” raw materials for electricity generation from fossil or renewable sources (concrete, steel, aluminum and copper). Our aim is to compare the requirements for these materials, which are not dependent on technological innovation but which carry the largest share of energy needed to produce the raw materials. Indeed, the variability of technologies and their rapid evolution make it difficult to quantify the full requirements for energy raw materials. Moreover, there are relatively few validated studies that exhaustively report on material intensities (in tons per MW of power or MWh of energy produced). In addition, many published studies are limited to the isolated production infrastructure of other equipment (transformers, connections, foundations, etc.).