Sulfur shortage ‘crisis’ could affect green technology sector.

The green technology industry could face a “crisis” due to sulfur shortages caused by the world’s shift away from fossil fuels, a new study suggests.

The collection of sulfuric acid is currently based on fossil fuels that are harmful to the environment. However, it is an important part of the development of green technology – an industry that is key to combating climate change.

Sulfur is used to extract precious metals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel.

But scientists at University College London (UCL) have warned that demand for sulfur is expected to jump from 246 to 400 million metric tons by 2040. At the same time, as world economies move away from fossil fuels, sulfur levels will decrease.

More than 80% of the global supply of sulfur comes from crude oil and natural gases. Sulfur is extracted by oil companies for safety reasons and then sold at a low price.

to speak UKTN“You have less than 10 years before this resource crisis happens,” said Professor Mark Maslin, who led the study.

Green technology is not green enough

The report suggests that the green technology sector should shift to recyclable materials, which would reduce the number of metals needed to extract sulphur.

Maslin criticized the wider green technology community for its contradictory attitude towards the material it uses.

“If we’re going to have a green revolution, why don’t we make sure it’s actually green?” Maslin said. UKTN.

Maslin urged the development of new technologies in the sector to ensure that the devices produced are reusable and do not require the use of scarce resources that are at risk of depletion.

“It doesn’t make sense to produce all this low carbon technology, then you have to throw it away.”

In July, the government launched the Critical Mines Intelligence Center (CMIC) in Nottingham. The center uses data to analyze the supply chain of critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium and graphite.