Fossil Fuel Infrastructure Recycling Could Supply Steel and Copper for the Energy Transition

Researchers at Empa’s Technology and Society laboratory examined the material stocks contained in existing coal mines, oil and gas platforms, fossil‑fuel power plants and large pipelines. Their analysis, part of the EU‑funded CircEUlar project and published in Nature Communications, identified steel and copper as the two most abundant raw materials in this “urban mine”.

The study estimates that recycling all recoverable steel from decommissioned fossil‑fuel infrastructure would meet the entire steel demand of the renewable‑energy transition, while the recovered copper could cover roughly one‑third of the required copper. Recycling these metals is also considerably more environmentally friendly than primary extraction, generating far lower carbon emissions and toxic waste. The researchers conclude that existing global recycling capacities are sufficient to process the needed quantities, making the repurposing of fossil‑fuel assets a viable strategy for supplying critical materials for solar, wind and other clean‑energy technologies.