WEMO 2025 (complet) - Flipbook - Page 64
02 Critical resources
Concrete (sand and aggregate) could be the next critical resource
Concrete demand is increasingly driven by energy transitionrelated civil engineering needs, rather than traditional sectors like
construction and road infrastructure. Specialized concretes - using
aggregates such as barite, magnetite, serpentine, and hematite are vital for niche applications like radiation shielding and thermal
management, adding complexity to supply chains.
Europe’s current production capacity of 1.05 to 1.75 billion metric
tons annually may su昀케ce for conventional use but could fall short
amid accelerated energy infrastructure deployment.
The industry, characterized by capital-intensive operations and
long investment cycles, faces a growing mismatch between
existing capacity and emerging energy-related demand.
Technology
Concrete
Demand (tons
per GW)
Comments
Nuclear
~900,000 to 1.2
million tonnes per GW
Includes reactor buildings, cooling towers,
and safety structures.
O昀昀shore Wind
500,000 to 800,000
Driven by heavy foundations (monopiles,
jackets, or gravity bases).
Onshore Wind
240,000 to 400,000
Mostly for turbine foundations and access
roads (depending on turbine size, foundation
design, and site-speci昀椀c conditions)
Stationary Battery
1000 to 10,0000
Mostly for housing and site preparation.
Source: ADEME, Inventaire des besoins de la transition énergétique, 2020
CleanTechnica – for steel requirements in solar and wind energy., Stainless Steel World – for
nickel-containing steel usage in wind turbines. World Nuclear Association and general nuclear
engineering literature – for steel usage in nuclear power plants. Rystad Energy & WindEurope
(2023): IEA Wind Task 37 – Reference Wind Turbines; NREL – Materials Quanti昀椀cation for Wind
Energy Growth
