Copper is essential to our modern way of life, particularly for its role in infrastructure. For energy generation, literal tonnes of copper are used in solar panels (5.0 tonnes), onshore wind farms (4.3 tonnes) and offshore wind farms (9.6 tonnes). Copper is used to power our grid through 5G networks, grid storage and other electrical infrastructure. It’s the foundation of wires in our houses, and we wouldn’t have the modern world without it.
On the heels of Congress’ passage of the infrastructure bill, as projects get underway, copper will be even more in-demand. Producers like Teck are working to meet that demand and, in 2020, Teck produced 276,000 tonnes of copper and is developing its QB2 project in Chile which is expected to come on line in the second half of 2022 and will double Teck annual consolidated copper production. Importantly, Teck mines responsibly: for example, Teck has committed to the Copper Mark, a voluntary assurance framework to promote responsible production practices and demonstrate the industrys commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals., By mining responsibly, we can support our current and future infrastructure needs.