Critical metals required for components such as electric motors and electronics face a shortage of raw materials in future, even if recycling increases, finds a major survey led by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, on behalf of the EC.

Electrification and digitalisation are leading to a steady increase in the need for critical metals in the EU’s vehicle fleet, pushing up demand as recycling from end-of-life vehicles provides little relief. The metals that are highly sought after, such as dysprosium, neodymium, manganese and niobium, are of great economic importance, while their supply is limited and it takes time to scale up raw material production.

“The EU is heavily dependent on imports of these metals because extraction is concentrated in a few countries such as China, South Africa and Brazil. The lack of availability is both an economic and an environmental problem for the EU, and risks delaying the transition to electric cars and environmentally sustainable technologies. In addition, since many of these metals are scarce, we also risk making access to them difficult for future generations if we are unable to use what is already in circulation”, said Maria Ljunggren, associate professor in sustainable materials management at Chalmers University of Technology.

Together with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, EMPA, Ljunggren has surveyed the metals that are currently in use in Europe’s vehicle fleet. The assignment comes from the EC’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), and has resulted in an extensive database that shows the presence over time of metals in new vehicles, vehicles in use and vehicles that are recycled.

Ljunggren points out that the serious situation affecting the EU’s critical and strategic raw materials is underlined in the Critical Raw Materials Act recently put forward by the EC. The Act emphasises the need to enhance cooperation with reliable external trading partners and for member states to improve the recycling of both critical and strategic raw materials. It also stresses the importance of EU countries exploring their own geological resources.

“If recycling is to increase, cars need to be designed to enable these metals to be recovered, while incentives and flexible processes for more recycling need to be put in place. But that’s not the current reality”, says Ljunggren, who stresses that a range of measures are needed to deal with the situation.

“It is important to increase recycling. At the same time, it is clear that an increase in recycling alone cannot meet requirements in the foreseeable future, just because the need for critical metals in new cars is increasing so much. Therefore, there needs to be a greater focus on how we can substitute other materials for these metals. But in the short term it will be necessary to increase extraction in mines if electrification is not to be held back”, she says.

Share Story: