Renewable Energy Needs Critical Elements
Silicon, tellurium, and indium are necessary parts of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.7
Platinum group elements (PGEs) are necessary components of fuel cells and have the potential for other advanced vehicle uses.6 Platinum and palladium production are concentrated in South Africa (70% and 37%, respectively) and Russia (11% and 39%, respectively).8
Lithium is an element of growing importance due to its use in batteries used in cell phones, laptops, and electric vehicles.6 Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina account for over 50% of easily extractable world lithium reserves.6 Australia, Argentina, and Chile account for a significant share of world lithium production.8
