'Copper crunch': How the AI and clean tech booms could send copper prices soaring

James Murray
clock • 8 min read
'Copper crunch': How the AI and clean tech booms could send copper prices soaring

New BloombergNEF analysis details how surging demand for copper could present challenges for both AI data centres and the clean energy transition

The environmental impact of new AI data centres is increasingly well documented. The technology may or may not provide an historic boost to productivity and innovation that transforms the global economy...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

James Murray
Author spotlight

James Murray

View profile
More from James Murray

Could Europe's renewables drive combat the hostile actors working to 'weaponise' energy?

Beyond the Davos drama we need to actually work on making the world better

More on Technology

Could Europe unlock an alternative protein boom?
Technology

Could Europe unlock an alternative protein boom?

Analysis suggests plant-based foods could deliver over €100bn to the European economy, as experts urge the EU to ramp up investment in supporting infrastructure and enhance regulatory framework

Amber Rolt
clock 27 January 2026 • 9 min read
Government announces new protections for heat network customers
Technology

Government announces new protections for heat network customers

Ofgem appoints Ofgem as regulator for expanding heat networks sector as it promises to protect hundreds of thousands of households from risk of unfair price hikes

Amber Rolt
clock 26 January 2026 • 4 min read
How Raft Energy is harnessing microbes to strengthen energy, food, and waste systems
Technology

How Raft Energy is harnessing microbes to strengthen energy, food, and waste systems

Raft Energy’s Mia Shaw reflects on biogas' underperformance to date and how scale comes from establishing 'patterns'

Stuart Stone
Stuart Stone
clock 26 January 2026 • 5 min read