The Twin Metals Minnesota project’s end-product metals are necessary components to the emerging green economy. The development of wind turbines, solar panels and hybrid vehicles are dependent on the availability of strategic metals, such as copper and platinum. It takes 4.7 tons of copper to build a single wind turbine and a standard hybrid car uses 75 pounds of copper, 33 pounds more than a standard vehicle. As the green economy continues to mature, it is important U.S. energy manufacturers have affordable access to these resources.
Strategic metals mining in Minnesota is important to the U.S. because of the increasing global demand and our country’s current reliance on imported supplies for copper, nickel, platinum and palladium. Increasing domestic production will help secure and spur domestic growth in the emerging green economy. The Twin Metals Minnesota project has the potential to be among the world’s lowest-cost sources of copper, nickel and platinum group metals for up to a century.
As the world looks for solutions to meet its growing demand for power, the mining industry is going to be a strategic partner in providing the resources needed to manufacture goods for the green economy – wind turbines, solar panels, fuel cells, batteries and much more.