Today, the energy transition is well in progress in the EU. Tens of GW of wind and solar PV capacity are added every year. Transmission grids are being extended. We’re investing in energy efficiency. Buildings are getting smarter. The transport fleet is electrifying. We have 11 million heat pumps in Europe. As a result, we estimate that the energy transition has already added well almost 2 million tonnes of copper in use, and is adding about 300 kilotonnes per year:
| Application | Annual demand (kt) | Cumulative demand(kt up to 2018) | Sources |
| Wind energy | 170 | 970 | Creara, Frost & Sullivan, Atkins, GWEC, Wind Europe, ECI research |
| Photovoltaics | 45 | 490 | Becquerel, Generalia, SAI, ECI research |
| E-mobility | 30 | 60 | Navigant, Fraunhofer, VDE, ECI research |
| Transmission grids | 35 | 100 | ENTSO-E, Europacable, ECI research |
| Distribution grids | 35 | 100 | DNVGL, Alliander, European Commission, VITO, ECI research |
| Heating & cooling | 8 | 88 | EHPA, ECI research |
| Total | 323 | 1,838 |
Considering today’s State of the Union report, and the expectation of 20% renewables in 2020, the energy transition is probably more advanced than estimated in this article. See https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_1837
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