Copper prices have strengthened materially during 2010 due to increased global demand coupled with an industry that is somewhat challenged to increase copper supply. While hard numbers are difficult to come by, the increased demand for copper is likely at least partly driven by increased copper usage in “Green” applications.
Solar Energy and Wind Energy
Copper cables are often used to allow power generated at solar energy farms and windmill farms to be connected to an electrical transmission grid, which ultimately allows this clean electricity to reach our homes. Solar farms and windmill farms are often located far away from population centers.
Copper’s important role in energy delivery is due to its properties of high-conductivity and low electrical resistance. Wind farms can contain several hundred-thousand feet of copper.
Electricity generation via wind farms and solar farms require significantly more copper per megawatt of capacity than conventional electricity generation, with one industry source estimating that wind energy is twelve times as copper-intensive as conventional power generation. Additionally, solar farms require 4 to 5 times more cable than wind farms of equal power generation. (per the General Cable’s 2008 annual report)
In a wind farm, copper is used in the generator to help turn wind power into electrical power, copper cables transport the electricity to where it needs to go, and finally copper is used as an electrical ground to protect wind turbines from lightning strikes.
Premium Efficiency Electric Motors Aid the Development of Hybrid Cars and Electric Cars
Electric motors consume over 20% of all the electricity generated in the United States, as estimated per the US Department of Energy.
A fairly recent manufacturing development has allowed for the introduction of copper rotors into smaller electric motors. Why does this matter?
Electric motors with copper rotors offer several advantages over motor with aluminum rotors, including increased efficiency, smaller size, and lower operating costs. Die cast copper rotors can increase motor efficiency by one to five percentage points, according to the Copper Development Association.
One of copper’s advantage over aluminum is its higher electrical conductivity; copper conductivity is nearly 2x that of aluminum. Higher conductivity drives higher efficiency, as less of the power that the motor generates is lost due to heat and resistance. Copper rotors need less material than aluminum rotors to achieve the same performance levels. (Copper Development Association)
Premium efficiency electric motors (at the 10 horsepower level) contain nearly 10 kilograms of copper, which is roughly 75% more copper than a standard efficiency electric motor (data is per the International Copper Association, LTD)
The motor of the Tesla Roadster, a high-performance electric car, contains an electric motor with a low-resistance copper rotor. The electric motor in Tesla weighs just seventy pounds, yet cranks out 240 horsepower, helping the car accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hours is roughly four seconds.
Conventional automobiles contain 8kg to 33kg of copper, with the electrical distribution system/wiring harness accounting for about half of the copper used. Hybrid electric cars contain an estimated incremental 33 kg of copper.
High-Speed Trains
New high-speed trains with their electric traction engines use from 3 tons to 4 tons of copper, which can be more than double the copper content of traditional electric trains (source: International Copper Study Group). Additionally, the overhead cables that supply the power to high-speed trains are made of pure copper or a copper alloy. One kilometer of cable uses 10 tons of copper!
The benefits of high-speed rail travel are numerous, including lower highway congestion, lower emissions, and lower trade deficits stemming from less imports of crude oil.
These three additional uses for copper increase consumption for a metal already in high demand in the construction industry. As emerging economies around the world expand their middle class population, the construction demand will increasingly compete with these new uses for copper, turning a base metal into a precious metal pretty quickly!
James G. Tatakis
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