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AI Data Centers Are Becoming a Critical-Minerals Demand Engine, New Study Finds

Sep 4, 2026

2 minute read.

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Highlights

  • Copper accounts for 82–83% of total modeled mineral mass, with grid transmission driving 64% of that demand
  • Grain-oriented electrical steel for transformers is identified as a major potential supply constraint
  • For gallium, germanium, graphite, and rare earths, processing capacity and supply-chain concentration pose greater risks than geological scarcity
  • Researchers built a bottom-up demand model covering 20 minerals across compute, thermal, and power systems from 2025 to 2035

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By Daniel

Inspired to launch Rare Earth Exchanges in part due to his lifelong passion for geology and mineralogy, and patriotism, to ensure America and free market economies develop their own rare earth and critical mineral supply chains.

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Avatar of Fundamental
Fundamental

Active member

184 messages 64 likes
#1 Sep 05, 2026

I seem to recall that I flagged the use of Permanent Magnets in Data centers a month or so back!

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H
Heat.Beat

Member

56 messages 30 likes
#2 Sep 08, 2026

They carry your wire to the counter at the Home Depot now after they get it out of a locked cage; paying 5 or 6 times what I used to for a roll of 12-2WG, I can only imagine what critical stuff supply chains are doing…

It can’t be long before more semi-conscious people catch on, guess we’ll see!

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