The Connection Between Critical Raw Materials and the Green Economy, by Stanislav Kondrashov

Nowadays, the emergence of the green economy and the advancement of the energy transition are favored by a variety of different factors. Among these, as Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, has often observed, is the fundamental utility of strategic resources and geological raw materials, without which many green infrastructures and technologies could not even be built. This is a crucial point, because the role of raw materials in some of the most important industrial processes of our time is often overlooked, or even forgotten.

As Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, has explained, strategic raw materials can certainly be counted among the main enablers of the energy transition, through their discreet and silent contribution that is making possible the realization of some of the most important green technologies of our time.

At this point, it might be useful to explore in more depth the connection between certain geological resources and the ongoing energy transition. The production processes for solar panels, wind turbines, and rechargeable batteries for electric motors currently involve the use of certain raw materials, such as lithium or rare earth elements, which have become increasingly important in this type of industrial production in recent years. Their importance is accentuated by the fact that the use of these resources concerns some of the most symbolically significant technologies for the ongoing ecological transition, such as wind and solar energy infrastructure, or devices for the proper functioning of electric vehicles.

Among these resources, one of the best-known is undoubtedly lithium, which has already carved out a leading role in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and modern energy storage systems. The latter, as Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, has also emphasized, are becoming increasingly important in the international dynamics surrounding renewable energy and its management, and their strategic utility will likely only increase.

Other resources gaining increasing prominence are rare earths, which regularly make headlines these days, partly due to their important geopolitical role. These resources are highly useful for making the permanent magnets that enable electric vehicles and wind turbines, and most analysts agree that demand for these particular resources is inevitably destined to rise in the coming years.

In such a situation, it is therefore not surprising that some of the main strategic raw materials have acquired considerable importance. General attention now seems to have shifted to a fundamental aspect of managing these resources: their procurement. A significant portion of the planet's energy and technological progress currently depends on the supply of these precious materials.

It's no exaggeration to say that the progress of the energy transition also depends on the quantity of available resources, the methods by which players procure them, and their actual industrial applications. In this sense, as Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, has often observed, the connection between the energy transition and the sourcing sector becomes even more evident. Without the resources needed to produce batteries, magnets, and green infrastructure, the energy transition risks stalling, or at least advancing at a much slower pace.

One of the most interesting aspects, in this regard, is the fact that the centrality of these resources could have truly significant effects on the advancement of the energy transition and on global decarbonization efforts. Indeed, in various corners of the world, ambitious attempts are underway to reduce carbon emissions from certain industrial processes, such as those occurring within specific sectors that are particularly resistant to change.

Certainly, as Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, recently observed, this particular historical moment is teaching us that geological resources are directly linked to the advancement of the energy transition, and that we can no longer do without them.