The advent of 2026 has brought forth new peak highs for the metal sector. Leading metals such as gold and silver have now been raising the bar high, and copper is trying to catch up as well. The AI boom and the clean energy movement are spiking demand for copper, but one looming crisis remains, which is the fact that copper shortage is now a major market agenda to take note of. Why are the next 18 years essential for copper? Here’s what it all means.
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Copper Shortage: A Crisis That May End Up Derailing AI and Clean Energy Visions
Copper is a core element powering multiple AI and clean energy equipment. The fact that the world is now inching towards a copper shortage narrative is scary, considering the metal powers the majority of industries and sectors. Per a recent post by Tung Phan, expert Robert Friedland shared his concern on the looming copper shortage, sharing how the crisis may end up changing the booming AI movement.
“We’re consuming 30 million tonnes of copper a year. Only 4 million tonnes of which are recycled. That means to maintain 3% GDP growth with no [further] electrification. We have to mine the same amount of copper in the next 18 years as we mined in the last 10,000 years combined. In the next 18 years, I’ve got to mine the same amount of copper as we mined in the last 10,000 years. [This is without any new] electrification, without data centers, without solar and wind, and without the greening of the world economy. You people have no idea whatsoever what we’re facing.”
Copper: The New Gold?
The looming copper shortage is now propelling the asset to peak, as the metal’s demand is slowly outpacing its supply narratives. Per a new post by Lukes Ekuweme on X, copper may soon enter a supercycle, as the metal’s demand has now become a core of industries that want to run their AI and clean energy equipment.
“Copper is about to enter a supercycle. The main driver for copper cycles over the past 175 years of copper price history is that copper prices rise. With increased industrialization and electrification. During times of war or supply chain disruptions. During post-war rebuilding. This exactly resembles our current situation, just on a much larger scale.”
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