This wont help... Geologists doubt Earth has the amount of copper needed to develop the entire world.
Copper powers modern life
After the introduction of smartphones, wind turbines, and high-capacity batteries, copper’s role has grown from important to indispensable.
A recent study led by University of Michigan earth and environmental scientist Adam Simon, together with colleagues at Cornell University and the University of Queensland, takes a hard look at how much of the metal will be required over the next generation.
Their modeling shows that simply continuing “business as usual” population growth and rising standards of living would consume about 1,100 million metric tons of copper by 2050.
For context, global mines turned out roughly 23 million metric tons in 2024 – barely two percent of what the world will burn through over the next twenty-five years.
The number climbs higher when the researchers layer green-energy targets on top of everyday growth. Transitioning every passenger vehicle on the planet to electric power using copper-based materials, along with the necessary grid upgrades, pushes demand to 1,248 million metric tons.
Relying mostly on wind and solar power bumps the requirement to 2,304 million metric tons. Building a grid that stores energy in large-scale battery packs sends the tally soaring to 3 billion metric tons.
Meanwhile, emerging economies have their own copper bills to pay. India alone will need about 227 million metric tons to expand power lines, hospitals, and sanitation systems.
Copper, mining, and clean power
Meeting even baseline demand will not be easy. The study calculates that sixty-plus large mines, each yielding 500,000 metric tons a year, must come online before 2050 just to keep economic growth on track.
Financing that many projects hinges on price. According to the team, copper would have to trade above $20,000 per metric ton – more than double 2024 levels – to nudge investors toward green-lighting new pits.
Power grids that mix nuclear, wind, solar, and a pinch of natural-gas backup can slice the copper bill dramatically compared with battery-heavy systems.
Don't sound like it will be cheaper, digging deeper for less resource...
