Tin is a forgotten but critical metal for the transition to an electrified, net zero world.
Tin’s main application is solder, which connects every touchpoint in the ubiquitous electronic and digital devices of modern life, from your mobile phone and laptop, the smart appliances in your home and office to the industrial-scale equipment and facilities that form the backbone of the global economy.
Tin not only is essential today, but to the future as we transition to a sustainable and smart world. A study completed by MIT and Rio Tinto in 2017 highlighted tin as the metal to benefit the most by the rollout of new clean technologies. Tin demand is set to grow 40% by 2030, with new applications such as solar, EVs and cloud computing adding on top of traditional solder- and electronics-driven growth. The International Energy Agency (IEA) “net zero” scenario estimates growth of 5x in solar installations and 18x in EV sales by 2030. The rollout of “internet of things” (IoT) will rely on a 5G network and data centers capacity, all driving continued demand for tin in semiconductors and other electronic components.
