Mining.com.au: copper central to electrification
- Mining.com.au published an explainer on April 27 saying copper sits at the center of electrification, tying demand growth to renewables, electric vehicles and grids. - The piece says electric vehicles use significantly more copper than combustion cars, while wind, solar, substations and charging networks add more cable demand. - Broader forecasts show copper demand rising as clean-tech and grid build-outs accelerate, while supply stays concentrated. (iea.org)
Copper is the metal inside the energy transition, and Mining.com.au’s April 27 explainer argues electrification is pushing it into more parts of the economy. (mining.com.au) The basic reason is conductivity: copper moves electricity efficiently, so it shows up in motors, wiring, batteries, charging gear and grid equipment. Mining.com.au says that makes it essential in systems that generate, transmit and use power. (mining.com.au) The article ties the latest demand story to three big build-outs: renewable power, electric transport and infrastructure. It says wind and solar projects need copper for generation equipment, cabling and grid connections, while electric vehicles use it in motors, batteries, inverters and wiring. (mining.com.au) That lines up with broader market data. The International Energy Agency’s 2025 copper outlook projects total copper demand rising from 26.7 million tonnes in 2024 to 31.3 million tonnes in 2030 under its stated-policies case. (iea.org) The clean-energy slice is growing faster than the rest. The International Energy Agency says copper demand from grids and other clean technologies rises from 7.7 million tonnes in 2024 to 10.9 million tonnes in 2030 in that same scenario. (iea.org) The pressure is not only global. The Copper Development Association said U.S. copper use increased across nearly all sectors in 2024, with transportation up 2%, electrical equipment and electronics up 4%, industrial machinery up 5% and building construction up 3%. (copper.org) That same U.S. dataset showed a supply gap opening wider. The association said total copper use by mid-stream fabricators and other industries rose 7% in 2024, imports rose 13%, and domestic mine production fell 6% after an 8% drop in 2023. (copper.org) The supply side is concentrated too. The International Energy Agency says the top three mining countries are projected to account for 50% of copper supply in 2030, up from 48% in 2024, while the top three refining countries hold 60%. (iea.org) Other researchers are now linking that strain to the physical build-out of power systems and digital infrastructure. A December 2025 World Economic Forum report said copper, aluminium and electrical steel are all being squeezed by grid expansion, electrification and data-center growth. (weforum.org) S&P Global made the same case in January, extending it beyond renewables and cars to artificial intelligence, defense and data centers. Its report said copper demand through 2040 will be shaped by electrification, digitalization and those new power-hungry industries. (spglobal.com) Mining.com.au’s takeaway is straightforward: every time an economy swaps combustion for current, it needs more copper in the hardware. The more grids, chargers, motors and substations get built, the more the copper question moves from mining into delivery schedules. (mining.com.au)
