Modern Mining September 2024

TIN OUTLOOK

The Tin Dilemma: Is global supply equipped to As the journey to net zero continues to gain momentum, global focus has shifted away from fossil-fuel derivatives towards energy metals and other critical minerals. Renewable energy solutions are becoming increasingly prioritised, and tin is emerging as a key player in this clean energy transition. A versatile and highly valuable metal, tin is establishing itself as a cornerstone in the shift towards sustainable, low carbon technologies.

Tin alloys are often used as solder - essential for fusing circuit board components together.

Industrial applications It is no coincidence that tin has been the best performing base metal in 2024 with its value rising 31% in this year alone. Possessing a wide array of applications, the metal is gaining significant attention due to its crucial role in modern electrical components and renewable energy sources. In 2017, researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology predicted that tin would experience remarkable growth as technology advances, and shift from something of a forgotten commodity to a crucial component of the green transition. As forecast, its applications now span various sectors including EV batteries, robotics, renewable energy, and advanced computing. Tin applications Highly malleable and resistant to corrosion, tin alloys are often used as solder – an essential constituent of electronic hardware that fuses components of a circuit board together. Beyond electronics, tin plays a pivotal role in items we use every day, such as tinplate – a component of food, beverage, and paint cans

– and alloys used in aviation, brake pads, and roofing. Although demand in this sector sees relatively static levels of global consumption, it is rising in other sectors where industrial applications are high, such as clean energy. The metal is attracting increased attention from investors for its use in solar ribbon – a copper wire coated in tin solder connecting solar panel cells – and its role in the composition of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. These extensive applications across the spectrum of modern manufacturing are what secured tin its spot on the UK and US critical minerals list. The metal’s evolving importance presents exciting opportunities for future growth in the market. However, production and demand constraints present unique challenges that pose a threat to supply chain stability. Is there a large enough tin supply to sustain the technological revolution? Tin is a relatively scarce element, comprising only 0.001% of all mineral deposits in the earth’s crust. However, despite the metal’s

8  MODERN MINING  www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | SEPTEMBER 2024