Copper is rapidly moving from industrial backbone to strategic asset. Its role spans from powering electric vehicles and renewable grids to enabling AI-driven data centers and semiconductors. With demand projected to double by 2050, the market is heading toward a structural imbalance that could reshape both energy and technology supply chains.
Rising demand for critical inputs
According to the International Energy Agency’s Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025, global demand for lithium surged by close to 30% in 2024, while nickel, cobalt, graphite and rare earths rose between 6% and 8%. The energy sector alone accounted for 85% of the growth in battery metals consumption. For copper, the trajectory is even more urgent. The agency projects demand will double by mid-century, yet production pipelines face declining ore grades and lengthy permitting processes.
The World Economic Forum estimates that recycling and efficiency strategies could reduce primary mineral demand by 30% to 50% by 2050. But today the world is moving in the opposite direction: secondary material use fell from 9.1% in 2018 to 7.2% in 2023, according to the Global Circularity Gap Report. Unless this trend reverses, shortages could hit sooner than expected.
Industry response: partnerships and innovation
Companies are beginning to act. Schneider Electric’s “Materialize Program” and “Zero Carbon Project” seek to cut emissions across supply chains, while its collaboration with Glencore integrates digital monitoring tools such as AVEVA PI and ETAP simulations to decarbonize copper production. Beyond efficiency gains, the two firms are developing e-waste take-back models to push more recovered copper into circulation.
These initiatives reflect a broader reality: meeting climate and digitalization targets requires both new mining capacity and large-scale adoption of circular practices. Investors are watching which operators can balance both sides of the equation.
A junior miner aiming higher: Power Metallic
In Canada, Power Metallic Mines ($PNPN / $PNPNF) has been positioning itself inside this global supply story. The company recently expanded its Quebec footprint to over 200 square kilometers and reported some of the highest-grade copper intercepts seen in recent years. CEO Terry Lynch has been vocal about the strategic path forward. In a recent exchange on social media, Lynch confirmed that a New York Stock Exchange listing remains a top priority:
“We see NYSE as the most credible exchange, respected worldwide, the center of the universe. A natural fit as America starts to invest in mining. And it is at the very top of our list.”
He added that the company has filed nearly all requirements, with one final set of accounting statements pending. Importantly, Power Metallic is fully funded through 2026, having raised $50 million earlier this year. For investors, that positions PNPN as one of the better-capitalized juniors attempting to scale in a tightening copper market.
Outlook
Between 2022 and 2024, global solar output and grid-scale battery storage both more than doubled, while EV adoption continues its rapid climb. These technologies will only deepen copper’s centrality. Price cycles will be shaped not only by mining output but also by innovation in recycling, ESG capital flows, and geopolitical bottlenecks.
Takeaway
Copper has become the quiet lever of the energy and digital revolutions. Without new supply and circular solutions, bottlenecks could disrupt decarbonization and technology growth alike. For investors, the winners will be those operators and manufacturers capable of integrating resilience, transparency, and sustainability at scale.
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