Mineral raw materials are fundamental to human existence. ‘If you cannot grow it, you have to mine it.’ All minerals and metals used in manufacturing, including recycled material, have ultimately been mined from the Earth’s crust.
What are critical raw materials?
Global concerns are growing over the long-term availability of secure and adequate supplies of the minerals and metals needed by society. Of particular concern are the ‘critical’ raw materials, so-called because of their growing economic importance and high risk of supply shortage.
The ‘fourth Industrial Revolution’ is using a combination of novel technologies (e.g. digital systems and devices; renewable energy and energy storage; electric mobility; autonomous vehicles) that are being deployed at an unprecedented scale and speed. These technologies utilise a wide range of minerals and metals, which are provided by global supply chains that are vulnerable to disruption.
Critical raw material research
We study critical raw materials and vulnerability to supply disruption by monitoring global mineral production and trade, mapping supply chains and analysing markets. Our mineral deposit science focuses on advancing understanding of the Earth processes that produce deposits of critical raw materials in terrestrial and submarine environments.
We collaborate with government, academia and industry to deliver integrated research across the entire value system for critical raw materials. Our sustained activity in this area has greatly raised the profile of critical raw material security-of-supply issues and has influenced the research agenda for this topic in the UK and Europe.
Many of our datasets and publications are available on our dedicated minerals web portal.
As long as mineral raw material consumption rates grow, we will continue to need to extract minerals and metals from the Earth. Until recently, many of the critical raw materials have largely been neglected by the research community. Therefore, relatively little is known about the processes mobilising and concentrating some elements in natural systems to produce potentially exploitable deposits.
Mineral deposit research will enhance our exploration models and ability to identify new deposits and new styles of mineralisation. Combined with systematic exploration in poorly explored parts of the planet, this will lead to expansion and diversification of mineral resources, contributing to greater and more flexible supply.
Our mineral deposit science focuses on:
- understanding critical raw material-bearing mineral systems in a range of terrestrial, marine and unconventional settings globally
- developing geomodels
- investigating critical raw material deposits in the UK and assessing geological stocks
- working with partner countries to improve their knowledge of domestic critical raw material resources and develop research capacity
- generating data and knowledge to assess the environmental performance of the production of critical raw materials from different mineral deposit types
If you want to discover more then please contact Paul Lusty or Kathryn Goodenough.
Up-to-date, accurate and high-resolution time-series data on raw material production is fundamental to high-quality minerals intelligence, objective decision making, strategic assessment and contingency planning by governments and businesses.
We have a global reputation as a leading provider of long-term mineral statistical data and associated analysis. An experienced team compiles statistics of mineral production and trade that are published in an online database, as annual books and as customised reports. Quality is assured by participating in international forums and by a regular exchange of information with a range of stakeholders.
Our role as a global data provider includes:
- maintaining up-to-date and accurate time-series data on mineral commodities
- collection and analysis of statistical datasets (e.g. mineral exploration activity; resources and reserves; mineral consumption; energy and water consumption; recycling rates, etc.) relevant to understanding material cycles and their footprints
- providing free, impartial, authoritative information on critical raw materials
If you want to discover more then please contact Teresa Brown.
Role in decarbonisation
Action on climate change and the transition to a low- or zero-carbon economy are strategic priorities for many countries around the world, including the UK. Our research is evolving to address this challenge, focusing on the critical raw materials that are essential for decarbonisation of the transport and energy sectors.
Ensuring these raw materials are produced in a responsible and sustainable way is an integral part of our supply-chain research. Our work embraces the entire lifecycle of critical raw materials, considering ‘primary’ (extracted from the Earth) and ‘secondary’ (that may be recovered through recycling) resources together as parts of a single system, thereby contributing to the vision of a circular economy.
Raw material supply chains have grown in complexity and size at an exponential rate in recent years. Tracking material flows and stocks in our economies is a major challenge and material supply chains can generate negative environmental and social impacts.
Reducing these impacts and decarbonising the global economy requires multiple interventions, including:
- low-carbon extraction, processing and refining of primary raw materials
- increased utilisation of recycled stocks
- ‘doing more with less’
- designing products with re-use, remanufacturing and recycling in mind
A whole-systems approach is needed to ensure that interactions between the economy and environment are properly accounted for, the optimum stages for intervention are identified and impacts are not hidden by shifting them to other regions or sectors.
This research focuses on:
- mapping material flows and stocks to identify meaningful interventions
- adopting a holistic, whole-systems approach that analyses all interactions between raw material supply chains, the economy, the environment and society and quantifies trade-offs
- understanding the role of circular economy in improving resilience and efficiencies in supply chains and reducing environmental impacts
If you want to discover more then please contact Evi Petavratzi.
The UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC) supports the UK in securing adequate, timely and sustainable supplies of the minerals and metals it requires to transition its economy in the coming decades to net-zero emissions.
Led by the British Geological Survey (BGS) with support from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), we work together with universities and private and public sector partners to gather and analyse intelligence on the supply and demand of critical minerals, their global value chains and use by UK industry. Our aim is to guide decision-making by government and industry to mitigate risks to supply security, helping to deliver economic prosperity and create opportunities for UK businesses in critical mineral supply chains, domestically and internationally. More information can be found on the dedicated CMIC website.
Contact
If you want to discover more then please contact the enquire@ukcmic.org
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We comprehensively monitor mineral production, trade flows and other relevant statistics within the UK to respond to the economy’s demand for raw materials.
BGS to help deliver International Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Resource Management
27/02/2024
BGS has been announced as part of a consortium approved by the UN to deliver its International Centres of Excellence on Sustainable Resource Management.
Unlocking key mineral archives at the Zambian Geological Survey Department
23/02/2024
Rachel Talbot recounts a recent visit by BGS Records staff to the Zambian Geological Survey Department, to assist in critical mineral data management.
CMIC: critical minerals research review
21/12/2023
Matthew Reeves of Innovate UK provides an overview of the Critical Minerals Strategy, which sets out how the UK will go about securing its supply of critical minerals.
First annual Critical Mineral Intelligence Centre conference takes place
23/11/2023
The conference took place at BGS’s headquarters in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, on 21 November 2023.
Good practice for sand mining
24/10/2023
Tom Bide and Clive Mitchell outline how BGS is working on geoscience-led solutions for the global issue of sand mining.
Dr Gavin Mudd appointed director of the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre
19/10/2023
Dr Gavin Mudd brings with him expertise in sustainable mining, environmental impacts and management of mine waste.
UK assessment of technology-critical minerals and metals
12/10/2023
New publication by the UK Critical Mineral Intelligence Centre sets out a revised methodology
bluedot 2023: the importance of geological outreach
10/08/2023
Staff members from various disciplines across BGS worked over the weekend to engage festivalgoers with BGS’s work, specifically critical raw materials.
Living in a world made of sand
17/07/2023
Tom Bide and Clive Mitchell outline the BGS Sand and Sustainability project, which is working on geoscience-led solutions for the global issue of sand mining.
Mineral investigation reports released online
07/07/2023
Reports from over 260 mineral exploration projects are now freely available on BGS’s GeoIndex.
Scoping report on the material requirements for a UK hydrogen economy
21/06/2023
The UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre has produced a scoping report that examines the aims of the UK with regards to developing a hydrogen economy, the sustainability of these targets, given current metal loadings, and provides some suggestions for overcoming potential challenges that the UK may face in securing raw materials to support this ambition.
Scoping study on metals used in specialist alloys in the aerospace industry
21/06/2023
A recent scoping study by the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre assesses the application, importance and supply-chain risks associated with specialist alloys used in the aerospace and defence industries.