The newly published EU report on critical materials now includes seven industrial minerals such as graphite, fluorspar, rare earth minerals and quartz (silicon metal). These are specifically consumed in significant amounts by the energy markets. In energy generation and harvesting critical minerals are used in nuclear power and the shale gas / oil industry while becoming even more important in the renewable energy sector, in the wind and solar power markets for which market scenarios predict two-digit CAGR's with novel storage systems to be implemented at large scale. Industrial minerals are processed into high tech materials as e.g. REE-doped phosphors in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) which are today one of the most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technologies.
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