It is rather unlikely that many people, except chemistry students, have heard of yttrium, scandium, lanthanum, praseodymium, cerium, neodymium, promethium, europium, samarium, gadolinium, terbium, holmium, dysprosium erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium. Collectively, this group of 17 is called rare-earth metals, the demand for which is increasing for many critical applications, such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, and advanced electronics. These metals are used in small amounts, but have potentials that make them vastly important.
EV Manufacturers Are Major End Users of These Metals
For instance, the Delhi government has proposed April 1, 2030, as the final date for cab, food, and e-commerce delivery companies to convert their whole fleet to EVs. Approximations with the state transport department demonstrate that the capital city of India has a minimum of 150,000 vehicles working under diverse cab aggregators, but it is generally a floating number, as these automobiles keep moving amid Delhi and NCR towns.
Continuing its belligerent push for the promotion of EVs, the government of Delhi aims to mandate all cab aggregators and corporations with delivery partners to guarantee that 5-to-100% of their new two-wheelers, three-wheelers, or cars are EVs in phases, within half a year to four years from the date of announcement of the policy.
How Do Rare-Earth Metals Make Power Generation Made Easy
The share of neodymium in clean energy technologies would rise from 16% to 41% over two decades, says the IEA. A 3-Megawatt direct-drive turbine comprises about 2 tons of permanent magnets made of this material. They are especially utilized in wind turbines, which are taking center stage as a renewable energy technology with a high potential.
For instance, India’s wind energy sector has an industrial base of around 10,000 MW per year. The nation is fourth in terms of the installed wind energy capacity across the globe, with a total of 39 GW in March 2021. Moreover, the country produced about 60 billion units of wind power in 2020–21. The state of Gujrat has the highest wind power potential, of around 143 GW at a height of 120 meters.
In all, around the world, the total installed capacity of windmills has risen from 6210,370 MW in 2019 to 731,763 MW in 2020, despite the economic disruption due to COVID-19. The addition trend has continued, with the total reaching 824,974 MW in 2021, amidst the economic recovery. These statics by the International Renewable Energy Agency clearly show that governments are keen on achieving their net-zero goals by 2050, which could mean a windfall for entities that mine, extract, and supply rare-earth metals for windmill turbine magnets.
Lasers: Another Clever Use of Rare-Earth Metals
Neodymium ions, in combination with yttrium aluminum garnet, are the mainstays of the laser industry. Now, scientists have effectively dissolved high concentrations of neodymium ions into alumina crystals, producing an exclusive ceramic-based laser material, which emits high-octane, ultrashort laser pulses. The combination material could empower smaller, more-powerful lasers that can capture light from outside and transmit a part of their own energy for the production of better laser light.
