Critical metals for the energy transition

For decades, mankind has been convinced that metal reserves would be sufficientto supply it indefinitely, as recycling and the evolution of materials meant that there was no need to search for new reserves. However, recent industrial developments in non-Western countries, associated with the emergence of new technologies and the beginning of energy transitions, showed us the need to look for new resources and reserves for a certain number of metals. This course presents the current state of the art in mining geology and metallogeny, as well as the economic, political and strategic aspects of access to "critical metals".

This course will be focused on :

1) Apprehending the question of limits & planetary frontiers , and various « models » of energetic prospective :
What are limits and planetary frontiers ?
- Overview of raw materials for energy transitions 
- Critical materials matrix
- Environmental Problematics of mining footprint and water consumption
- Geopolitcal questions linked to renewable energies : questions linked to renewable energies : international dependency, new mining - contexts (US, China, EU), techno-centered solutions vs sobriety

2) Understanding where and how metal ore deposits are formed : Magmatic, Hydrothermal
and Sedimentary deposits
- relationships between convection and concentration of specific elements
- the role of water/magma interactions
- the relationship between the evolution of the ocean & atmosphere with ore deposits
- biominerals (relations between metal accumulation and evolution of life)

3) Tools for exploration
- Learning to recognize rock and minerals containing specific critical metals (cobalt, Lithium, platinum, REE, nickel …) through bulk description & petrology (e.g. petrological approach to the alteration of Li-rich deposits)
- Modelling

A practical work session (TP) will be organized at a Mineralogy Museum on the metal composition and origin of minerals used to build modern electronic devices.

Recognizing critical minerals within rocks
Understanding how they form & where to find them (keys for mineral exploration)
Gain a better grasp of the geopolitical and economic impacts of geological resources on the World's Economy

Basic knowledge in Geology.