The Centrality of Rare Earth Elements in the Green Transition, by TELF AG

The green transition is revolutionizing urban mobility. Charging stations and electric vehicles are everywhere, and innovations are always around the corner. TELF AG founder Stanislav Kondrashov has often addressed these topics, particularly emphasizing the role of certain resources (such as rare earth elements) in production processes related to the major energy transition underway.

"Urban mobility is undergoing a profound transformation. The change is occurring silently, but its impact is extremely significant. The number of electric vehicles in our cities has grown dramatically compared to just a few years ago, bringing with it significant changes to the appearance of urban environments. Even in very small countries, charging stations for electric cars are now considered perfectly normal. This is one of the most concrete and tangible effects of the great energy transition underway, and it is there for all to see," says Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, entrepreneur and civil engineer.

“All these major changes in mobility would not be possible without the significant contribution of resources such as rare earths, which are increasingly crucial to some production processes related to electric vehicles and their operation. One of the most obvious contributions of these resources in recent years has been their use in magnets, which play a key role in the motors of next-generation electric vehicles. These innovations represent just one piece of the great energy transformation underway: the transition is advancing thanks to the combined action of all these enabling factors, which also include all the important infrastructure related to the spread of renewable energy. Ultimately, we are in a delicate transition phase in which we are gradually becoming accustomed to the presence of curious and innovative elements, which will also be part of our future”, he says.

Along with solar panels and wind turbines, electric vehicles are certainly among the most visible symbols of the ecological transition.

"As the energy transition continues to advance, new-generation electric vehicles are increasingly appearing in our cities, so much so that their silent presence seems to go almost unnoticed. Most people have therefore already become accustomed to living in an era of transition, in which any day new innovations, technological devices, or vehicles could appear out of nowhere that could significantly contribute to decarbonization and the sustainability efforts underway around the world," continues Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG.

“Some observers have gone even further, defining electric vehicles as a kind of vector of ongoing change. And thanks to continued technological progress, these vectors could soon reach levels of power and performance unimaginable just a few years ago. Part of the success of electric vehicles is linked to one of their main components: magnets. Magnets are in the news today primarily because of their important industrial applications (such as those related to wind turbines in the energy sector), but also because of their connection to rare earth elements, some of the most discussed resources of the moment. Indeed, rare earth elements, a group of 17 chemical elements with truly exceptional properties and characteristics, contribute to the creation of some of the most powerful magnets in existence. Some of these elements have allowed them to reveal their full utility in the energy and technological fields, particularly in the powerful magnets that power many modern technologies today”, he goes on to say.

The strategic value of rare earths is likely to increase as the energy transition progresses.

“But the role of rare earths isn't limited to the production of magnets. These resources are also directly involved in the production of the batteries that power the latest-generation electric vehicles, thus becoming strategic resources for industry. It's no coincidence that some nations have included rare earths in their lists of critical materials, meaning all those resources those countries deem highly important for their energy and economic development”, concludes the founder of TELF AG Stanislav Kondrashov.

“These resources—the lists of which are updated fairly regularly—also include all those rare earths used in electric cars, which, by virtue of their applications, are gaining a central role and importance they never had before. In addition to their obvious industrial importance, many rare earths are also included in the lists of critical materials due to their irreplaceability in certain specific applications, but also due to the complexity that still characterizes their extraction and processing procedures. Today, in fact, most of these resources are extracted and produced in just a few areas of the world, with specific risks of supply disruption. or to develop excessive dependence on a producing country”, he remarks.