Every energy system rests on materials that can become critical. Behind every megawatt there is copper, steel, silver, lithium, rare earths, or uranium — along with the extraction, refining, and transport processes that rarely surface in public discussion.
This category examines the relationship between energy, materials, and geopolitics: which metals serve which technologies, how their supply chains work, and what dependencies emerge when those technologies are scaled up.
The analysis covers issues such as supply inelasticity, by-product production, geographic concentration, control over refining capacity, and the real limits of recycling and substitution.
The aim is to make clear that the energy transition does not unfold in a vacuum, but on top of concrete material chains with real physical, industrial, and strategic constraints.