High-level ICA messages – High Level Copper Messages

Industry: Indicators | About ICA | The Copper Mark | Frequently used messages

Benefits: Availability | Climate change | Electrical safety | Energy efficiency | Recycling

Sectors: Data centres | Renewable energy

Sources

Indicators for the copper industry

provides employment for over a million people

supply chain:

copper mining: 23 Mt (ICSG Factbook 2025 p12 - data for 2024)
refined copper production: 26.6 Mt (ICSG Factbook 2025 p24 - data for 2024)
copper use for semis: 31.8 Mt (IWCC 2024)
- of which 60% for wire & cable, 70% for conductivity applications, 80% in unalloyed form

cumulative copper production from 1900 until 2020: 750 Mt (based on ICSG data)

copper mining yields Au, Ag, Mo, Co, Zn, Pb, Pd, Pt, co-products valued at 30-40% of copper production

contributes around 300 B$ per year to world GDP (i.e. 0.3% of 100 T$) (this is the combined value-added from mining (including co-products), smelting & refining, and fabrication)

emits around 0.2% of the world’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions (0.1 out of 50 billion tonnes CO2eq)

consumes around 0.25% of the world total annual energy (1.5 out of 575 billion GJ)

ICA members publish sustainability reports since 2001 and embrace sustainable-development principles and goals

About ICA

the organization that promotes copper, protects its markets, and defends and sustains its demand as the superior material to effectively address global challenges like electrification, urbanization and digitalization

35 members, in 6 continents, more than 50% of global copper production

as the voice of copper, ICA champions the use of more and better copper, responsibly produced, used for a sustainable future

The Copper Mark

the leading assurance framework to promote responsible practices across the copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc value chains

established in 2020

facts & figures:

~ 100 recipient sites
38% of copper production
~ 50 participating sites in the Molybdenum, Nickel and Zinc Mark
~ 50 partners (customers) supporting

Frequently used messages

Captured from the President's Brief, the messages below have been most frequently used through ICA's programs.

Copper is an essential material for the energy transition: it is linked to substantial reductions in energy use and carbon emissions at every level of the electricity, heat and transport systems
Copper needs primary and secondary material sources: growing global copper demand needs to be ensured through increased levels of recovery and recycling as well as substantial investments in mining capacity
Copper is the material of choice in electricity systems: only copper conductors combine efficiency, performance, safety and reliability
Copper's essential role in promoting a sustainable society is due to its benefits in use and excellent recyclability, particularly when the environmental impact of copper production is managed responsibly
Policies need to be coherent: jurisdictions must maintain reasonable coherence between chemical, circularity, climate, energy and product policies and should not exceed what is physically and thermodynamically possible
Supply security through diversity: a secure copper supply depends on diversification—not just across regions, but across resource types. It involves increased domestic mining, smelting and refining capacity, secondary copper resources management, and trade with reliable partners
Think life cycle: when looking at the life cycle costs for a copper-using system, within the uncertainties of its very long lifetime, the higher capital cost for a copper solution is earned back in multiple ways
Copper is highly recyclable: copper produced from concentrates, from heap leaching or from secondary smelting is finally electrorefined to cathode that can meet metal exchange standards such as CEN EN 1978, ASTM B115 or equivalent

Availability

Since 1950, the reserves/production ratio for copper has been stable at ~ 40 years. Copper reserves continue to grow over time coincident with production. According to USGS, just in 2023, 100 million tonnes of new copper reserves have been identified, bringing global reserves to 1,000 million tonnes and the reserves/production ratio to 45 years.

USGS has estimated resources at 5,600 million tonnes, i.e. 250 years of production at today's rate. Like reserves, resources also expand with time.

Copper in use is 470 Mt globally (stocks & flows model, basis 2020). Over 60% of cumulative production from 1900 to 2020 remains in use. Almost 300 Mt is unaccounted for.

The world is not at risk of running out of copper. Many factors control the conversion of resources to reserves to production (e.g., mineralogic, environmental, political, logistical, and economical).

Streamline permitting: industry, governments and hosting communities can work together to ensure permitting processes are streamlined, convergent, fair and de-politicized to safeguard local communities while encouraging new mining opportunities.

A secure copper supply depends on diversification—not just across regions, but across resource types. It involves increased domestic mining, smelting and refining capacity, secondary copper resources management, and trade with reliable partners.

Climate Change

By 2050, scope 1 and 2 emissions for copper production can be reduced by 85 to 95 per cent compared to the baseline via a combination of energy efficiency, green electricity, electrification and green hydrogen. ICA members are working towards this goal.

To produce a tonne of copper cathode, on average 4 tonnes of greenhouse gasses are emitted.

Because of copper’s high conductivity, over its lifetime, a tonne of copper used to improve energy efficiency, for renewable energy production or for the electrification of transport or heat saves between 140 and 1,100 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Copper's carbon payback varies between 30 and 300-to-one (compared to the CO2 emitted to produce one tonne of copper). A greenhouse gas emissions for producing a tonne of copper for these purposes are earned back in a matter of weeks or months [2].

Copper saves carbon in seven ways [2]:

copper's pathway to zero
its carbon footprint is less than half the footprint of alternative conductor materials
copper's compactness saves 8-25% on other materials (insulation, electrical steel, casing, ...)
saving greenhouse gas emissions in use
the co-products in copper production (e.g. Au, Ag, Mo, Co, Zn, Pb, Ni, Pt and Pd)
reliability and durability in use = few repairs and long lifetime
good recycling performance

Electrical Safety

Electrical safety requires a chain of good practices from device and installation standards, initial verification and periodic inspection, manufacturer engagement, qualification of installers and inspectors, and consumer education, all within an adequate regulatory framework that includes market surveillance

Copper’s unique properties make it the most secure, efficient and durable material for electrical installations in homes and buildings. It is used in building wire, circuit breakers, fuses, grounding rods, rails, switches and sockets

Copper makes your home is as safe as possible for as long as possible. It is easy to install, is a good conduit for electricity and lasts longer than any other material

Compact and flexible, copper allows for smaller, easier-to-handle wires that fit into standard sockets, switches, and lighting points

Connections with copper stay secure for decades with minimal maintenance. Copper is highly resistant to deformation and corrosion

Alternative conductors are bulkier, harder to handle, and prone to connection issues over time—requiring larger components and special connectors to compensate for their tendency to deform and oxidize. These drawbacks can lead to serious reliability and safety concerns

Energy Efficiency

Copper sets the standard for electrical conductivity (100% IACS - International Annealed Copper Standard, 1913). Only silver is a marginally better conductor, 106% IACS, at a much higher cost. Gold performs worse as a conductor (~80%). Next comes aluminum (58-61%)

A tonne of copper saves users between 500 and 5,000 MWh of electricity over a lifetime use in conductivity applications. At 50 $/MWh, this saves 25,000 to 250,000 $ in energy costs

Copper is the best nonprecious conductor of both heat and electricity. Hence 70% of copper use goes into conductivity applications

Copper is the material of choice for wire & cable, due to its superior conductivity, thermal performance and good mechanical properties. Combined, these deliver efficiency, durability, reliability and safety in infrastructure, buildings and equipment

High Minimum Efficiency Performance Standards (MEPS) benefit consumers and society. If the world’s governments would commit to minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) in six product categories (motors, distribution transformers, air conditioners, refrigerators, lighting, information technology) we could reduce global electricity consumption by 10% by 2030

Recycling, stocks and flows

Copper's end-of-life value drives the business case for recycling. It facilitates recycling of other metals. Scrap markets ensure that secondary copper resources are effectively and efficiently recycled

Primary and secondary copper can be traded as substitutes on metal exchanges

Copper has a long lifetime and can have multiple lifetimes

Of the ~750 million tonnes of copper produced between 1900 and 2020, it is estimated that 60% is still in productive use (~470 million tonnes in 2020)

In 2020, the global population uses an average of 60 kg of copper per person (total amount of copper in use/stock—470 Mt—divided by the world population--7.8 bn). Wealthier nations use 150-200 kg per person, developing nations 30 kg

Nearly one-third of copper demand for semis production each year is met through secondary material resources

The recycling of copper requires up to 50-95% less energy than primary production. On average, secondary production requires six times less energy than a primary route. Globally, this saves ~40 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (the equivalent emissions of 10-20 million cars)

Cable

Copper’s largest product market, using more than 5 Mtpa

Power cable is used in a wide variety of growth sectors, such as grids, industry, large buildings, renewable power plants and transport infrastructure

Copper is the material of choice for power cables in demanding applications such as transmission grids, submarine cables, wind power plants, and vehicle charging infrastructure. This preference stems from its high conductivity and its ability to perform reliably across a wide range of environmental conditions, contributing to enhanced safety and operational dependability

When using copper conductors, power cable projects use between 1 to more than 100 tonnes of copper per km

Utility grids have an estimated 80 - 95 million km of installed lines and cables world-wide (85% overhead, 15% underground). This distance will need to double to 175 million km by 2050 (more than the distance from earth to the sun)

Motors

Large and growing copper market of 2.5 - 3 Mtpa, driven by electrification

Motors used in industry, transportation equipment, appliances (large and small), heating and cooling systems. Also lots of miniature motors embedded in power tools, information technology, toys and home automation systems

A home contains 20-40 electric motors for appliances and fixed equipment. When including all embedded and miniature motors, the number increases to 80-200. Cars have 30 to more than 100 small motors

Copper is the material of choice for windings in rotating machines, due to its superior conductivity, thermal performance and good mechanical properties. Combined, these deliver efficiency, durability, reliability and safety in electricity systems

Copper provides an alternative for rare-earth materials. Alternative motor designs using only readily available materials such as copper, aluminium and silicon steel provide viable alternatives

Through its compactness, the use of copper saves 8-13% on other materials in motors

Copper use in motors is highly circular. Copper in windings is effectively recycled. Copper's value drives the business model for motor recycling. The motor market is to a large extent a replacement market. Because new, more energy-efficient motor types entering the market, accelerated replacement of a motor is often paid back in a short time [2]

Copper use in induction motors ((IE3 level) ranges from about 2.5 kg/kW for small motors (1 kW) to 1.3 for medium size (11 kW) and 0.7 for large size (110 kW) [2]

Transformers

A growth market for copper of 800 to 1,000 ktpa

Transformers are used in grids, industry, large buildings and renewable power stations.

From power station to end-use, a kWh of electricity will pass through 3-5 transformers. For every MW of power generation, there is at least 5 MW of transformer capacity. I.e. for the world's power generation fleet (~ 9,000 GW), there is over 45,000 GW transformer capacity

Copper content, in case of all-copper windings [2]:

1 kg/kVA for distribution transformers (400 kVA, 630 kVA)
0.8 kg/kVA for 1000 kVA units (industry)
0.2 kg/kVA for large units (100 MVA, transmission)

Copper is the material of choice for windings in transformers, due to its superior conductivity, thermal performance and good mechanical properties. Combined, these deliver efficiency, durability, reliability and safety in power grids and industrial power supplies

Through its compactness, the use of copper saves 8-12% on other materials in transformers

Copper use in transformers is highly circular. Copper in windings is effectively recycled. Copper's value drives the business model for transformers recycling. The transformer market is to a large extent a replacement market. Replacing transformers before the end of their technical lifetime can be highly beneficial from an energy efficiency and reliability perspective [2]

Electric vehicles

The the electrification of transport needs copper, an essential material in batteries, electric motors, wiring and inverters for electric vehicles and in cables and connectors for charging stations

Copper is widely regarded as the preferred material for conductors in vehicles and charging infrastructure. This stems from its high conductivity and its ability to perform reliably across a wide range of environmental conditions, contributing to enhanced safety and operational dependability.

How much copper is used in vehicles:

Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Vehicle: 25-30 kg
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV): 32-40 kg
Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV): 70-85 kg
Batteries: 0.4 kg/kWh (NMC 811) or 0.6 kg/kWh (LFP)

A BEV uses 2-3 times more copper than an ICEV. A PHEV uses about 30% more copper.

Copper motors offer a rare-earth-free alternative. In markets where access to rare-earth metals is constrained, motors built with copper offer a robust and scalable alternative.

Battery recycling must be promoted to ensure circularity of electric vehicles. Copper's end-of-life value supports the business model for battery recycling. ICA advocates battery passports to reduce recycling costs, and to reduce the illegal trade of end-of-life vehicles through recent certificates of roadworthiness.

Heating

A part of copper's 1.3 Mtpa market for plumbing systems as well as a 2.7 Mtpa market for consumer & general products

Copper tube is reliable, performant, versatile, healthy, recyclable, natural and aesthetic. It's a quality product manufactured according to well-established standards, valued by professionals and adding value to a building [2]

Cooling

A growth market for copper of 2.6 Mtpa

Small-diameter copper tube in heat exchangers provides energy efficiency, durability, ease of manufacturing, superior strength and manufacturing as well as maintenance cost reductions [2]

Data centres

Booming market, currently 3-5% of copper demand. Expected ~ 10% by 2030

Very high copper content: 20-100 t/MW, mainly because of power supply & grounding system (note). The power supply is copper-intensive for the following reasons:

The need for redundancy to ensure quality of electricity supply
Power distribution at low voltages
High power density in a thermally constrained environment
Integrated grounding systems and electromagnetic shielding
Overprovisioning for modularity, scalability or short-circuit performance

Copper is the material of choice because of its compactness, reliability as a contact material and thermal performance

---

Note: for comparison, a power supply typically needs ~2 tonnes/MW for its transformer, power cable and grounding system. We find this benchmark for example in industry, renewable power plants, electrolyzers.

Renewable Energy

Copper in renewables improves energy efficiency, reliability, durability, safety and environmental performance.

Renewable energy systems (solar, wind) on average require 4 to 6 times more copper per unit of electricity produced than traditional power generation.

A few benchmarks for copper use:

Photovoltaic power systems: 2 to 3 tonnes per megawatt
Onshore wind power systems: 3 to 5 tonnes per megawatt
Offshore wind power system: over 5 tonnes per megawatt
Heat pumps: 20 kg per unit
Batteries: 0.4 - 0.6 tonnes per megawatt hour
Hydrogen electrolyzers: 2 tonnes per megawatt

Currently, around 10% of annual copper use supports the energy transition, a share expected to rise to over 20% by 2050.

Given the volume and value of copper use in renewable energy systems—and its high recoverability— recycling is almost certain to take place, driven by economic and environmental necessity. Demand projections must reflect copper’s long service life, high end-of-life value, and well-established recycling loops in energy systems.