...

Rapid growth of hydrogen to underpin rising demand for nickel, zirconium

Oil&Gas 20 January 2022 15:26 (UTC +04:00)
Rapid growth of hydrogen to underpin rising demand for nickel, zirconium

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.20

By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:

Rapid growth of hydrogen will underpin rising demand for nickel and zirconium for use in electrolysers and platinum-group metals for fuel cells, Trend reports with reference to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

“Because hydrogen will trigger increased deployment of renewable technologies like solar and wind – and because it will go hand in hand with stringing new electric lines and installing batteries – it will also raise demand for the minerals used in those technologies,” reads the latest report released by IRENA.

The agency notes that raw materials are needed for hydrogen technology (and several other renewable energy technologies) so the discussion also expands to “material security”.

“Some 30 raw materials are used for fuel cells and hydrogen storage technologies. While geological supplies of most minerals and metals are presently sufficient, markets are bound to tighten with rapidly rising demand and long lead times in mining and refining projects. Meanwhile, other technologies may come along to compete with hydrogen over available quantities of critical materials. Even if countries are able to produce their own hydrogen and so improve energy independence, they may depend on a limited number of countries for necessary raw materials. Technological innovation, energy efficiency, recycling and circular economy concepts will be critical in alleviating concerns over mineral and metal bottlenecks,” the report says.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn

Tags:
Latest

Latest