According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a global transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is essential to address climate change. A transition like this means relying primarily on alternative energy systems including wind, solar, wave, tidal, battery, etc. which includes building and managing the necessary infrastructure. One important and underappreciated feature of these clean energy technologies is the requirement for earth minerals to fabricate their machinery. While not necessarily rare, they are difficult and expensive to extract and with demand outweighing supply, the rising mineral prices will drive up the cost of the alternative energy devices and systems.
Another hurdle not being discussed is the number of ships needed to transport these minerals from the mine to the refineries to the manufacturer. We know that U.S. shipbuilding has struggled to gain momentum for decades, and while the U.S. has emphasized revitalizing this industry, it won’t happen overnight. This could cause a logistical bottleneck.
This session will examine the infrastructure demands as well as the maritime logistics essential to achieving a sustainable energy future.