PtX Lab Lausitz Discusses Securing Critical Raw Materials for Green Fuels and Basic Materials of Tomorrow

Critical raw materials are getting increasingly involved in geopolitical tensions – driven by digitalisation and the energy transition. But without a secure supply of e.g. platinum, cobalt or iridium the market ramp-up of green fuels and basic materials for the transport sector and the chemical industry is jeopardized. This is one of the results of the PtX Lab Lausitz Study ‘Raw Material Demand and Availability for Net-Zero Aviation’ from the last year.

At PtX Lab Talk #17 on 23 April 2026, entitled ‘Securing Critical Raw Materials for Green Fuels and Basic Materials of Tomorrow’, we discussed our recommendations for securing critical resources within a broader context. This is because material-efficient solutions are particularly needed in aviation and maritime transport, in hydrogen technologies and in the chemical industry. How these can be designed was discussed with over 60 people from industry and academia. 

The Competence Centre in Dialogue with External Experts

Ludivine Wouters, a policy and governance advisor focusing on mining and minerals at latitude|five°, opened the PtX Lab Talk and emphasised the importance of a coherent EU minerals strategy. The EU’s various instruments must be coordinated, and the minerals sector must be effectively funded.

In his presentation, Dr Tom Lorenz, Head of department simulation and virtual design, DLR Institute of Low-Carbon Industrial Processes, highlighted how a specialised software for the designer of a new product can help to improve its scores in regard to circularity, carbon footprint, criticality and costs.

Dr Lorenzo Cremenose and Sophie Kamrad, experts in basic materials and policy at the PtX Lab Lausitz, concluded by offering specific recommendations on securing critical resources, reducing demand for them, and ensuring transparent and sustainable production. They based their recommendations on the latest PtX Lab Briefing, ‘Securing Critical Raw Materials for Green Fuels and Basic Materials of Tomorrow’, which was published as part of the PtX Lab Talk.

Policy Brief Sets Out Specific Policy Measures

Only by considering security of supply, environmental sustainability and competitiveness as a whole can the roll-out of climate-neutral technologies be successfully achieved – this is the conclusion reached by the authors of the PtX Lab Briefing ‘Securing Critical Raw Materials for Green Fuels and Basic Materials of Tomorrow. Recommendations for Action on Green Fuels and Basic Materials of Tomorrow’. In addition to supply-side measures, they place particular emphasis on the demand side, which has been neglected to date, and recommend the introduction of uniform indicators to monitor raw material consumption, environmental impacts and security of supply.

Aimed at the transport sector and the chemical industry, the policy brief sets out the following specific recommendations for action:

• Reduce material consumption and resource requirements
• Diversify supply chains
• Expand the circular economy and integrate markets for secondary raw materials
• Reduce technological dependencies
• Promote innovation

PtX Lab Talk #18 on 25 June 2026

The next digital event, PtX Lab Talk #18, will explore the topic of agri-photovoltaics (Agri-PV), i.e. the compatibility of agriculture and energy generation. The online discussion will take place on 25 June 2026. 

You will soon be able to register here.