DAS delivered an innovative research study for the UK Government Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the UK’s Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC) on the demand and security of the supply of aluminium and copper, which are essential for upgrading the electricity grid in Great Britain. We considered the aluminium and copper requirements for upgrading the grid based on national forecasts of infrastructure projects.
A top-down Bill of Materials (BoM) approach was used to generate value chain maps of the supply chain, including the mining, refining and component stages. We identified the bottlenecks along the value chain, including capacity assessments, production concentration risks, comparison with future demand and geopolitical risks. We also explored the opportunities associated with the circular economy and material substitution. Our research was delivered at pace and involved the formation of a broad stakeholder group across government, industry, and academia to validate our assumptions and findings through interviews and workshops.
The report and recommendations are currently being used to inform central government and industry of the supply risks and mitigation strategies associated with the UK’s aluminium and copper requirements for upgrading the electricity grid.
