The energy-material nexus: CRM demand, CRM footprints, and their interplay

Critical raw materials are needed for the energy transition, and at the same time they require energy themselves across their supply chains. In this workshop, we aimed to look at a) the different ways critical raw materials are used for energy production and storage, and the energy and material efficiency of different technologies, and b) the energy needs of critical raw materials, the potential of the circular economy to reduce these, and the interplay of raw material demand and energy requirements. One goal of the workshop was to gather expert opinions on how the “energy balance” of critical raw materials could be calculated and put into context.