Under The Patronage of The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

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Turning Talk Into Action

Ministerial Roundtable: 9 January 2024

Conference and Exhibition: 10-11 January 2024

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Turning Talk Into Action

In Collaboration With

  • MINING, MINERALS, AND MATERIALS IN THE AGE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND ALLIANCES

    The global shift towards sustainable energy systems, emphasizing the replacement of legacy fuels with alternative sources, presents significant challenges and opportunities in the materials supply chain. This transition, fundamental for future prosperity, demands extensive efforts to establish supply chains capable of supporting new energy systems within ambitious timelines. The focus is not just on replacing old systems but ensuring the sustainability of these new materials supply chains to fulfill the envisioned energy future.

    A key concern is the intense material requirements of alternative energy technologies. Compared to traditional energy sources, these technologies demand high capital investments for relatively lower energy outputs. This is evident in the capacity factors (CFs) of various energy sources. For instance, wind and solar power, despite their low operational costs, require significantly more installed capacity to match the energy output of natural gas, coal, or nuclear power. This discrepancy is due to their lower CFs and the intermittent nature of these renewable sources, leading to challenges in consistent energy delivery and necessitating extensive backup and storage solutions.

    MINING, MINERALS, AND MATERIALS IN THE AGE OF SUSTAINABILITY  AND ALLIANCES
  • HOW CAN THE SUPER REGION ENABLE THE ENERGY TRANSITION?

    The Super Region — comprising Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia — has been at the center of global trade and economic activity for most of recorded history. More recently, the region emerged as a key player in a post-WWII era defined by globalization and the discovery, exploitation, and widespread consumption of oil. As the world now transitions to a new energy mix, the Super Region is well-positioned to remain central to the future of global economics, climate, and geopolitics.

    The Super Region’s central role over the coming decades will be founded on long-term dynamics. In energy, for example, oil and gas will remain a crucial part of the global economy well into the 2050s, and the Middle East will be increasingly relied upon to provide the world with affordable, reliable, and secure conventional resources as assets elsewhere move offline. Meanwhile, population growth and urbanization in the Super Region, led by Africa and South Asia, are poised to be a key driver of future economic growth. And, as the world transitions away from hydrocarbons, the Super Region has the potential to become a leader in renewable energy. Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, for example, are among the most naturally endowed regions for solar and wind generation.

    HOW CAN THE SUPER  REGION  ENABLE THE  ENERGY  TRANSITION?
  • CRITICAL MINERALS AND ENERGY TRANSITION

    In collaboration with the Future Minerals Forum, CRU, a leader in commodities research, has released a groundbreaking report on the critical role of minerals in the global energy transition. The report "Critical Minerals and Energy Transition" underscores the urgent need to solve mineral bottlenecks to achieve climate objectives.

    The study reveals the escalating demand for critical minerals such as copper, aluminum, rare earths, lithium, and nickel, driven by the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and green steel. It identifies bottlenecks in the supply of these minerals as a significant hurdle that must be overcome to align with global warming limits of 1.5ºC by 2050.

    For some commodities, the rapid rise in demand has earned them the “critical” tagline. Reasons for criticality can be different and can originate in either the demand or supply side, or both.

    CRITICAL  MINERALS  AND ENERGY  TRANSITION