IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v15y2022i19p7029-d924396.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mineral Resource Constraints for China’s Clean Energy Development under Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Targets: Quantitative Evaluation and Scenario Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Xinyu Luo

    (Business School, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Jungong Road 516, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China)

  • Lingying Pan

    (Business School, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Jungong Road 516, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China)

  • Jie Yang

    (National Energy Conversation Center of China, Beijing 100045, China)

Abstract

With concerns about global warming and energy security, people are reducing fossil fuel use and turning to clean energy technologies. Mineral resources are used as materials for various energy technologies, and with the development of clean energy technologies, the demand for mineral resources will increase. China is a large country with various mineral resources, but its structural supply problem is severe. For China to reach the targets of carbon peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060, they have set specific milestones for developing each clean energy industry; thus, the demand for mineral resources in clean energy will increase. We first summarise the mineral resources supply for China’s development of clean energy technologies. We analyse the demand for various mineral resources in specific clean energy technology sectors under the stated policies scenario and sustainable development scenario through scenario setting. Finally, we combine current domestic mineral resource reserves and overseas import channels to analyse China’s mineral resource supply and demand for developing the clean energy industry. Our results show that the surge in clean energy generation and electric vehicle ownership in China between 2020 and 2050 will lead to a significant increase in demand for mineral resources for these technologies and a shortage in the supply of some mineral resources. In particular, the supply of copper, nickel, cobalt, and lithium will be a severe constraint for clean energy development. We also find that secondary recycling of power battery materials in the electric vehicle sector could alleviate China’s resource constraints. The findings of our study provide a better understanding of the kinds of mineral elements that are in short supply on the path of clean energy development in China under carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets and the future channels that can be used to increase the supply of minerals.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinyu Luo & Lingying Pan & Jie Yang, 2022. "Mineral Resource Constraints for China’s Clean Energy Development under Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Targets: Quantitative Evaluation and Scenario Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:19:p:7029-:d:924396
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/19/7029/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/19/7029/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Månberger, André & Stenqvist, Björn, 2018. "Global metal flows in the renewable energy transition: Exploring the effects of substitutes, technological mix and development," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 226-241.
    2. Tokimatsu, Koji & Höök, Mikael & McLellan, Benjamin & Wachtmeister, Henrik & Murakami, Shinsuke & Yasuoka, Rieko & Nishio, Masahiro, 2018. "Energy modeling approach to the global energy-mineral nexus: Exploring metal requirements and the well-below 2 °C target with 100 percent renewable energy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 1158-1175.
    3. Sherwani, A.F. & Usmani, J.A. & Varun, 2010. "Life cycle assessment of solar PV based electricity generation systems: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 540-544, January.
    4. Vo Thanh, Hung & Lee, Kang-Kun, 2022. "Application of machine learning to predict CO2 trapping performance in deep saline aquifers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PE).
    5. Valero, Alicia & Valero, Antonio & Calvo, Guiomar & Ortego, Abel & Ascaso, Sonia & Palacios, Jose-Luis, 2018. "Global material requirements for the energy transition. An exergy flow analysis of decarbonisation pathways," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 1175-1184.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sun, Wei & Yao, Guohui, 2023. "Impact of mineral resource depletion on energy use: Role of energy extraction, CO2 intensity, and natural resource sustainability," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    2. Kang Ma & Ye Liu & Ziqiang Wei & Jianfei Yang & Baocheng Guo, 2022. "A Novel High-Speed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor for Hydrogen Recirculation Side Channel Pumps in Fuel Cell Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-13, November.
    3. Yasmeen, Rizwana & Huang, Haiping & Shah, Wasi Ul Hassan, 2024. "Assessing the significance of FinTech and mineral resource depletion in combating energy poverty: Empirical insights from BRICS economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    4. Wang, Jia & Zhang, Zilong, 2023. "Impact of renewable energy and agriculture on mineral resources rents: Do economic and environmental aspects matter," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(PB).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hu, Xueyue & Wang, Chunying & Elshkaki, Ayman, 2024. "Material-energy Nexus: A systematic literature review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    2. Liu, Haiping & Li, Huajiao & Qi, Yajie & An, Pengli & Shi, Jianglan & Liu, Yanxin, 2021. "Identification of high-risk agents and relationships in nickel, cobalt, and lithium trade based on resource-dependent networks," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    3. Islam, Md. Monirul & Sohag, Kazi & Alam, Md. Mahmudul, 2022. "Mineral import demand and clean energy transitions in the top mineral-importing countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    4. Islam, Md. Monirul & Sohag, Kazi & Mariev, Oleg, 2024. "Mineral import demand-driven solar energy generation in China: A threshold estimation using the counterfactual shock approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    5. Elshkaki, Ayman, 2020. "Long-term analysis of critical materials in future vehicles electrification in China and their national and global implications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    6. Elshkaki, Ayman & Shen, Lei, 2019. "Energy-material nexus: The impacts of national and international energy scenarios on critical metals use in China up to 2050 and their global implications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 903-917.
    7. Ren, Kaipeng & Tang, Xu & Höök, Mikael, 2021. "Evaluating metal constraints for photovoltaics: Perspectives from China’s PV development," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(PA).
    8. Elshkaki, Ayman, 2019. "Material-energy-water-carbon nexus in China’s electricity generation system up to 2050," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    9. Ren, Kaipeng & Tang, Xu & Wang, Peng & Willerström, Jakob & Höök, Mikael, 2021. "Bridging energy and metal sustainability: Insights from China’s wind power development up to 2050," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    10. Hache, Emmanuel & Simoën, Marine & Seck, Gondia Sokhna & Bonnet, Clément & Jabberi, Aymen & Carcanague, Samuel, 2020. "The impact of future power generation on cement demand: An international and regional assessment based on climate scenarios," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 114-133.
    11. Liang, Yanan & Kleijn, René & Tukker, Arnold & van der Voet, Ester, 2022. "Material requirements for low-carbon energy technologies: A quantitative review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    12. Le Boulzec, Hugo & Delannoy, Louis & Andrieu, Baptiste & Verzier, François & Vidal, Olivier & Mathy, Sandrine, 2022. "Dynamic modeling of global fossil fuel infrastructure and materials needs: Overcoming a lack of available data," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).
    13. André Månberger, 2021. "Reduced Use of Fossil Fuels can Reduce Supply of Critical Resources," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 1-15, June.
    14. Islam, Md. Monirul & Sohag, Kazi & Hammoudeh, Shawkat & Mariev, Oleg & Samargandi, Nahla, 2022. "Minerals import demands and clean energy transitions: A disaggregated analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    15. Hugh Miller & Simon Dikau & Romain Svartzman & Stéphane Dees, 2023. "The Stumbling Block in ‘the Race of our Lives’: Transition-Critical Materials, Financial Risks and the NGFS Climate Scenarios," Working papers 907, Banque de France.
    16. Teixeira, Bernardo & Brito, Miguel Centeno & Mateus, António, 2024. "Raw materials for the Portuguese decarbonization roadmap: The case of solar photovoltaics and wind energy," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    17. Md. Monirul Islam, 2024. "A Cross-Country Examination of Mineral Import Demand and Wind Energy Generation: Empirical Insights from Leading Mineral Importers," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 23(1), pages 6-32.
    18. Aramendia, Emmanuel & Brockway, Paul E. & Taylor, Peter G. & Norman, Jonathan B., 2024. "Exploring the effects of mineral depletion on renewable energy technologies net energy returns," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    19. Abbas, Shujaat & Sinha, Avik & Saha, Tanaya & Shah, Muhammad Ibrahim, 2023. "Response of mineral market to renewable energy production in the USA: Where lies the sustainable energy future," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    20. Chen, Jinyu & Luo, Qian & Tu, Yan & Ren, Xiaohang & Naderi, Niki, 2023. "Renewable energy transition and metal consumption: Dynamic evolution analysis based on transnational data," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:19:p:7029-:d:924396. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.