FULL ARTICLE HERE WITH MANY PHOTOS AND CHARTS
Thread by @Mining_Atoms on Thread Reader App – Thread Reader App
"The so-called energy “transition” (energiewende) is a copper monster. The resulting demand for copper far exceeds anything the world has ever seen before—even during the electrification heyday (1870 onward).
For instance, a 3-MW wind turbine contains up to 4.7 TONS of copper Onshore wind farms use approximately 7,766 lbs. (3.883 TONS) of copper per MW. Offshore wind farms use over 21k pounds per MW (10.5 tons). PER MW nameplate.
Solar power systems use abt 5.5 tons of copper per MW (heat exchangers of solar plus wiring and cabling that transmits the electricity in PV cells). 262 GW of new solar installations between 2018 and 2027 in North America alone = 1.9 billion lbs. of copper.
But the new demand for copper is driven by far more than wind turbines. So let’s walk through a high-level, simplified explanation of what modern copper production requires."