Which critical resources are needed for the energy transition?

In the course of the energy transition, a far-reaching transformation of the German energy supply is taking place, accompanied by a fundamental restructuring of the infrastructure and thus a need for new resources. This results in an increasing demand for raw materials such as cobalt, lithium, rare earth elements, and indium, which are classified as critical due to supply uncertainties and negative environmental impacts, among other factors. Data from energy system modeling must be linked to material data to determine which critical resources are needed for the energy transition. In addition to the resources required to produce energy systems, resources required for operation and the possibilities for recycling and reuse are also considered.

In particular, we consider the following questions:

• Which resources are increasingly needed in the decarbonized energy system?
• Due to the energy transition, is there an increased demand for critical raw materials?
• Are our resources sufficient for the energy transition? Where do conflicts arise?