OPINION: As the world seeks greater access to the one metal essential for the energy transition, Australia needs a national strategy to be at the centre of this.
and its copper-focused assets, is the latest in a series of global acquisitions aimed at shoring up copper supplies.
A national copper strategy would be the ideal starting point for the minister for resources to broaden Australia’s resources strategy to deliver a strong sustainable industry creating thousands of high-paying jobs while also playing a key role in Australia’s broader strategic environment. Copper demand in the automotive industry is also going to boom because electric vehicles require four to six times the amount of copper found in internal combustion vehicles.There are no real equivalent substitutes for copper. They are either more expensive or have lower electrical conductivity .
For copper, the five largest producers account for 60 per cent of world mined supply. China produces almost 50 per cent of refined copper.Advertisement