Dissertation

Towards responsible and resilient mineral supply chains, with case studies on cobalt, antimony, and zinc

To meet the rising demand for minerals driven by the global shift to clean energy technologies, ensuring responsible and resilient supply chains is critical. Minerals like cobalt, lithium, and nickel for batteries, neodymium and zinc for wind turbines, and indium for solar panels are essential.

Author: S. van den Brink
Date: 13 February 2025
Links: Thesis in Leiden Repository

However, production concentration, trade dependencies, and supply disruptions raise concerns about supply security and environmental impacts. This dissertation investigates how to create responsible and resilient mineral supply chains through case studies of cobalt, antimony, and zinc. Using a resilience framework, the research identifies key mechanisms such as supply diversity, price feedback loops, and recycling. For cobalt, concentrated production in the Democratic Republic of Congo heightens risks, mitigated by network diversity and artisanal mining. Antimony's reliance on China underscores the need for diversification and recycling, while zinc benefits from greater supply diversity but faces bottlenecks from smelter closures and energy price surges. Responsible sourcing, defined as managing social, environmental, and economic sustainability, emerges as vital. Recommendations include diversifying sources, increasing recycling, and promoting substitution. This study highlights the importance of integrating resilience frameworks and responsible practices to secure critical minerals sustainably for the clean energy transition, balancing growing demand with societal and environmental considerations.