Global volume of minerals required for selected energy technologies 2020, by type
Renewable or clean energy technologies require larger and more complicated amounts of minerals to produce energy than nuclear and fossil fuel energy generation. For instance, as of 2020, the production of offshore wind energy accounted for the largest volume of minerals required among global energy technologies. Offshore wind energy production's demand for copper alone is as high as 8,000 kilograms per megawatt of energy produced, in addition to requiring nickel, chromium, rare earth minerals, and a significant amount of zinc.
