Page 22 - Policy Commission - SecuringTechnology - Critical Metals for Britain
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22 INTRODUCTION
APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY-CRITICAL METALS
Our modern lifestyles are increasingly reliant on advanced technologies to keep us moving communicating and living in in in in in in comfort Critical-metals are indispensable to many modern technologies and their unique properties cannot easily be replaced As nations around the the world commit to de-carbonise their energy systems the the transition away from fossil fuels will require the the move to new energy vectors Access to to to technology-critical metals will be fundamental to to to the the the production of those key technologies Whether the the the UK has unhindered access to technology-critical metals will be decisive
in in in determining whether it it it can benefit from the the opportunities that come with the transition to a a a a clean future Technology- critical metals are the the building block materials for the the green economy and without them the the UK government’s 10 point plan for green growth will be impossible to realise11 The shift to renewable energy and other low-carbon energy sources means that electricity will grow in importance as a a a a a a means of transferring and storing energy Where previously fossil fuels were used to heat homes and provide a a a dense energy store for transportation the shift to electricity as a a a a a principal energy vector will require significant investments in in both mobile and stationary storage Electric vehicles will require energy-dense lithium-ion batteries that need technology-critical metals like lithium cobalt and nickel