Launch of the “Mineral Resources for the Energy Transition” Chair at Mines Paris – PSL: towards sustainable mineral management for the ecological transition

The Chair, headed by Damien Goetz, Professor of Geosciences at Mines Paris – PSL, embodies an ambitious collaboration between the two institutions, supported by the Moroccan company OCP, patron of the initiative. Within the Geosciences Center, it is positioned as a place of innovation for engineers, researchers and students from Mines Paris – PSL and UM6P, to meet the urgent needs of the energy transition.

The energy transition: a challenge for mineral resources

In the face of growing environmental challenges, it is now imperative to transform our production and consumption systems towards decarbonized practices, integrating renewable technologies and a circular resource economy. Metals such as copper, lithium and rare earths are at the heart of this transformation. Their importance for the economy of the 21ᵉ century is often compared to that of hydrocarbons in the economy of the last century. As with hydrocarbons, metal resources are finite. But unlike hydrocarbons, which are consumed and degraded, metals remain recyclable and reusable. Only rigorous management of their life cycle will enable us to avoid facing the depletion of their resources on time horizons of the order of a century.

A Chair structured around three major axes

The research and teaching program of the “Mineral Resources for the Energy Transition” Chair is structured around three complementary axes:

1. Resource availability: this area analyses the limits to availability of critical resources, in the short and long term, integrating economic, geopolitical and environmental dimensions. In response to growing demand, the Chair will study the viability of new deposit discoveries and the effects of operating conditions on the environment, particularly in water-sensitive areas.
2. Metal recycling: recycling is seen as an essential alternative to metals from primary production. The development of sectors such as lithium-ion batteries offers new prospects, with recycling loops that should be fairly easy to set up. However, recycling rates for metals in end-of-life products remain low. The aim is to identify and overcome the technical and organizational obstacles to recycling in order to strengthen resource circularity.
3. Managing scarcity: to offset the scarcity of metals, this area focuses on reducing material consumption through substitution, eco-design and material efficiency. In a global context, this axis also integrates the challenges of material sobriety, tackling this subject from both an African and a European perspective.

Working together for the global energy transition

Thanks to this Chair, Mines Paris – PSL and EMINES-UM6P are joining forces to train the next generation of engineers and researchers, capable of adopting strategies for the sustainable use of mineral resources and envisaging innovative solutions for the energy transition. By integrating these issues into its teaching programs, the “Mineral Resources for the Energy Transition” Chair aims to equip students with strategic expertise, in line with the demands of the circular economy and decarbonization.

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