Total demand is projected to grow 61% to almost 46 million tonnes by 2050, with electric transport alone requiring 11.4 million tonnes. This forecast gap accounts for roughly 44% of the projected demand. Scaling production is constrained by long lead times, as each new mine takes about 17 years to build.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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Copper Mines Require $332B to Close Sole Transition Metal Supply Gap
Commodities19 hours ago
Global demand for copper will outpace production starting in 2028 and could reach a deficit of 20 million tonnes by 2050, forecasts Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Mine operators require $332 billion in new investment to prevent a supply shock, leaving copper as the sole asset among 10 tracked transition metals that faces an unmet need.
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