Resource evaluation: criticality

The approach of considering the availability of raw materials from an economic perspective for nations led to the development of the “criticality” of raw materials. Critical raw materials can be identified by presenting them according to supply risk, vulnerability and economic significance for the economic area of Germany and the EU. This approach includes criteria such as the static range, country risk, market concentration, monopoly structures, recycling, substitutability and the significance for future technologies.

The aspect of dissipative and destructive use of raw materials should be and is integrated into the indicator to facilitate an understanding of the significance of utilisation and therefore also whether reduction of the mass values alone really is an indicator of the sustainable handling of raw materials. Raw materials that are not recovered or are used “destructively”, such as fossil raw materials, have a greater impact on the footprint than raw materials that are used as secondary materials.

The following table shows the current criticality classification of raw materials that are used in electric vehicles.

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 March 2017 23:07