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Tracing Metal Footprints Through Global Renewable-Power Value Chains

44 Pages Posted: 13 May 2022 Publication Status: Review Complete

See all articles by Rao Fu

Rao Fu

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development

Kun Peng

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development

Peng Wang

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) - Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health

Honglin Zhong

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development

Pengfei Zhang

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development

Yiyi Zhang

Guangxi University - Guangxi Key Laboratory of Power System Optimization and Energy Technology

Xi Liu

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development

Kuishuang Feng

University of Maryland, College Park - Department of Geographical Sciences

Jiashuo Li

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development

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Abstract

The globally booming renewable power industry has stimulated an unprecedented appetite for metals as key infrastructure components. Many economies with different endowments and technology levels participate in global renewable power value chains (RPVCs) at different production stages, making it difficult to tell who supplies metals for whose low-carbon power generation. Here, we employed a value chain decomposition model to trace the metal footprints (MFs) and value-added of major global economies’ renewable power sectors. We found the MFs of global renewable power sector increased by 1/3 during 2005-2015. Developed economies occupy the high-end segments of the RPVCs, while transfer metal-intensive but low value-added production activities to less developed economies. The quantity of embodied metal transferred doubled between developed and developing economies and the gap of metal use per unit of export-induced value added grew by 13 times. The fast growing demands for renewable power in developed economies are the major contributors to the embodied metal transfer increment within RPVCs, which partly offset by declining metal intensity. Therefore, joint efforts such as establishing metal-efficient and greener supply chain for upstream suppliers and downstream renewable power installers are in urgent need to ensure a just transition in power sector across the globe.

Keywords: metal footprints, value chains, renewable-power sector, metal efficiency, trade imbalance

Suggested Citation

Fu, Rao and Peng, Kun and Wang, Peng and Zhong, Honglin and Zhang, Pengfei and Zhang, Yiyi and Liu, Xi and Feng, Kuishuang and Li, Jiashuo, Tracing Metal Footprints Through Global Renewable-Power Value Chains. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4109526 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4109526
This version of the paper has not been formally peer reviewed.

Rao Fu

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development ( email )

Kun Peng

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development ( email )

Weihai
China

Peng Wang

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) - Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health ( email )

China

Honglin Zhong

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development ( email )

Pengfei Zhang

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development ( email )

Yiyi Zhang

Guangxi University - Guangxi Key Laboratory of Power System Optimization and Energy Technology ( email )

Nanning, Guangxi
China

Xi Liu

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development ( email )

Kuishuang Feng (Contact Author)

University of Maryland, College Park - Department of Geographical Sciences ( email )

MD 20742
United States

Jiashuo Li

Shandong University - Institute of Blue and Green Development ( email )

Weihai
China