Critical Resources for the Transformation of the Global Energy System - A Case for Concentrated Solar Power, Electrolysers, Fuel Cells and Photovoltaic

This thesis examines the transformation of the global energy system towards renewable energy sources with regard to resource criticality. The resource demand for the next 30 years of four different technology classes is calculated and compared with the respective available deposits. The technology classes Concentrated Solar Power, Electrolyser, Fuel Cell and Photovoltaic are examined on the basis of seven different energy scenarios which provide possible transition pathways for the energy system up to 2050. The specific resource demand used for the calculations is determined at the sub-technology level to reflect the diversity of the individual sub-technologies of the technology classes. Three sub-technology roadmaps are developed to model different possible market developments and to examine the impact of these developments on the overall resource demand. The assessment of criticality is mainly based on geological restraints. On the one hand, the annual demand is compared with the production capacities of the respective resources and, on the other hand, the cumulative demand is compared with the capacity of currently economically mineable and/or potentially feasible deposits. In this context, eleven resources were identified and evaluated as potentially critical. Cobalt, Iridium and Platinum were identified as very critical for the transformation of the energy system. Gallium, Germanium, Indium, Selenium and Silver were classified as critical under certain preconditions. Potassium was classified als moderately critical, whereas Nickel was the only resource considered which was classified as non-critical. It was not possible to conduct an evaluation of the criticality of Scandium, since the data basis was not sufficient for a meaningful assessment