Critical minerals such as copper and silver, which underpin the clean energy transition, are increasingly exposed to supply chain vulnerabilities, according to a senior executive at UAE-based cable and wire company Ducab.
Speaking at the World Utilities Congress held from 27–29 May 2025 in Abu Dhabi, Shailendra Pratap Singh, Vice President for GCC, Europe, and the Americas at Ducab stated that copper demand is set to double within five to ten years, while traditional supply sources such as Chile, Peru, and the Democratic Republic of Congo face heightened risks from political instability and climate-related disruptions.
“There are so many political instabilities and climatic impacts, so any new investment that goes in needs a lot of approvals,” he said.
He highlighted the increasing cost of copper, referencing forecasts from Goldman Sachs, which foecasts prices to reach $10,500 per metric tonne by the end of 2026, up from around $3,000 fifteen years ago. Singh added that silver, essential for solar panel manufacturing, is also under supply pressure.
In response, Ducab has taken internal measures to strengthen supply chain resilience, including localised recycling initiatives.
“We try to recover and recycle our copper to the extent possible. We have in-house granulators, and we work closely with DEWA and TAQA to take the material back at the end of its lifecycle,” he said.
Ducab’s innovation extends to process optimisation. “For aluminium rods, we get molten aluminium in a crucible from EGA (Emirates Global Aluminium), which is located very close to our factory. This eliminates the need to cool and remelt the material, cutting emissions significantly.”
According to Singh, strengthening supply chains through material recovery and operational innovation will be essential for utilities and manufacturers as they address rising demand, resource constraints, and decarbonisation goals simultaneously.
(Writing by Rajiv Pillai; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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