Answer developed by Denzil Walton
The shift towards renewable energy sources and electric vehicles is going to require the use of more copper than is currently being used. Does the planet have enough copper? We consider the past, present and future role of copper
The historical perspective
Copper has been around for ages — literally, because it even has its own Age. The Copper Age lasted from around 4500 to 3500 BCE, when human societies began widely using copper to make agricultural and construction tools, as well as weapons. Then someone, maybe accidentally, mixed tin with copper to discover a new material even stronger than copper. The Bronze Age was born, although of course copper remained the key ingredient.
The influence of copper has remained strong through the centuries. Its ductility, which led to its use in ancient Egyptian water pipes, is illustrated by its abundance in plumbing and heating systems. Its corrosion resistance induced the Romans to use it to sheath the roof of the Pantheon, and is the reason why thousands of modern buildings have copper roofs. Its excellent conductivity (second only to silver) means it has always been the conductor of choice, the standard material for electrical wiring systems, and the key to modern power generation, where it contributes to applications as diverse as solar heating, large-scale desalination of water, and electric motor innovations.
The energy transition
However, times are changing — fast. The energy transition, defined as the shift from a system dominated by finite (chiefly fossil-based) energy towards a system using a majority of renewable sources, is going to have a certain impact on copper usage. Basically, we are going to need more copper than we use at present.
Renewable energy generation technologies, especially wind, ocean and solar installations, are copper-intensive. The installation of 1 MW of offshore wind energy requires about 6 tons of copper. A photovoltaic plant requires about 4 tons/MW, appreciably more than an oil-fired power plant (1.1 ton/MW) or a nuclear power plant (0.7 ton/MW).
The changing energy system will also require more investments in the transmission and distribution infrastructure, leading to greater use of copper in grids, transformers, power electronics, and even possible cross-border transmission lines.
Then there’s the matter of how this renewable energy will be used in the decades to come. A typical medium-sized electric vehicle, for example, contains around 83 kg of copper, compared to around 23 kg of copper in a comparable car powered by an internal combustion engine.
The important role of energy efficiency in the energy transition will also have an impact on copper use. The increasing use of heat pumps and industrial electric heat will require more copper, as will near-zero energy buildings, building automation systems, demand response, and energy storage solutions.
Combining all these applications, it is estimated that by 2050, the EU additional cumulative demand will revolve around 25 million tons of copper. While the absolute amount is relevant, it is spread over 3 decades, meaning an average annual increase of about 15% over current EU demand levels.
How much copper is available now — and in the future?
Any figures pointing to the amount of copper available in the world are based on the concept of reserves and resources:
- Copper reserves are deposits that have been discovered, evaluated and assessed to be profitable; they amount to 720 million tonnes 
- Copper resources are far larger because they include the already discovered reserves, plus predicted unexploited deposits based on geological surveys. They are estimated to exceed 5,000 million tonnes .
In addition, current and future exploration opportunities will increase both reserves and resources. For example, the total resources above do not include the vast copper deposits found in deep-sea nodules and submarine massive sulphides.
In other words, there would seem to be adequate copper resources available to cover the increased usage of copper due to the energy tran