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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Will rising demand for renewable energy drive a big increase in demand for rare-earth metals?

By Seth Smalley
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YES

Generating more renewable energy will drive a large increase in demand for certain rare-earth metals used in the production of solar panels and wind turbines (as well as in many other common products). Rare-earth metal mining and processing has acknowledged environmental effects. Reserves are concentrated in a handful of countries, most notably China.

A consulting firm's detailed look at the needs for one country, the Netherlands, suggests global demand for at least one metal, indium, could increase twelvefold by 2050. Along with increased mining, the report's authors say increased recycling or design changes could help meet the demand. Demand for other rare-earth metals could rise by between three and seven times.

Renewable energy generation will also generate more demand for other raw materials such as cobalt and lithium.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Reuters: China's rare-earth supplies a bargaining chip
Metabolic: Metal demand for renewable energy generation in The Netherlands
Manhattan Institute: Renewable energy requires mining
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.