It may be possible to reduce our reliance on copper by developing alternatives such as aluminium . Aluminium is about three times lighter than copper , so might be advantageous for use in electricity overhead lines , for example . On the other hand , in space and weight constrained applications , the increased volume of aluminium and surrounding structure required to provide the same functionality as copper makes it unsuitable .
Another area of research is graphene , which is also three times lighter than copper but more than twice as conductive and made from carbon , which is ten times more abundant . It ’ s promising , but the uses of graphene in the electrical industry is a field currently dominated by research and it will likely be decades before graphene becomes a mainstream alternative to copper .
If growth continues at historical rates and copper production increases in line , as it has done for over 100 years , there ’ s nothing to be concerned about . Meanwhile , changes in the way we produce copper are being introduced .
Low impact production
It ’ s essential that we maximise copper recycling to keep secondary copper in circulation . Electrical copper ’ s properties , such as purity , favour recycling and doing so is much less impactful than mining . However , current recycling of pre- and postconsumer scrap ( 10 Mt ) provides just a third of today ’ s demand and a fifth of 2040 ’ s SDS . Furthermore , post-consumer scrap only becomes available after the lifespan of the equipment has passed , around 30 years for a transformer , for instance .
Green copper For now , at least , mining existing resources for primary copper is essential . In fact , without mining there can be no Net Zero . While zero impact mining is impossible , mining must be responsible — a careful balance of economic , environmental , political and social challenges .
In some cases , that balance is hard to strike , as evidenced by the closure of one of the world ’ s largest openpit copper mines in late 2023 . In response to nationwide protests ranging from environmental concerns to corruption suspicions , Panama ’ s top court ruled that Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals ’ contract at Cobre Panama was unconstitutional and forced it to shut down operations at the mine . The site in Donoso employed 7,000 people , accounted for around five percent of Panama ’ s gross domestic product and one per cent of global copper output .
International collaboration and sharing of ideas and expertise at events like CWIEME Berlin , help the industry collaborate and do its part to maximise the benefits of copper use and reduce the environmental impact of copper production .
For example , 0.2 per cent of global carbon emissions come from the production cycle of copper , from mining to refining and production . While this is much less than the emissions copper helps prevent , the members of the International Copper Association have committed to the ambition of reaching Net Zero for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050 . Or consider The Copper Mark , an industrywide standard to encourage the responsible production , sourcing and recycling of copper and other critical metals . Based on 32 indicators , the certification is designed to cover social and environmental themes , from social engagement and prevention of child labour to responsible use of water and management of resources .
Humans have been using copper to make life better for thousands of years and , with the right approach , we can continue using it for thousands more — perhaps its greatest era is still to come .
For further information , please visit www . berlin . cwiemeevents . com / home
26 PECM Issue 68