An essential element

Copper.
The metal behind what comes next.

Power. Mobility. Computing. Circularity.

Copper in numbers.

23million tonnes

Global mine production
2024

27.4million tonnes

Global refined copper usage
2024

4.7million tonnes

Secondary refined production
2024

Source: ICSG World Copper Factbook 2025, p. 5 · Mine production preliminary ↗

Where copper goes

26%

Building construction

23%

Consumer products, cooling & electronics

17%

Power & telecom infrastructure

13%

Transport

12%

Industrial equipment

9%

Other uses

Source: 2024 end-use shares · ICSG World Copper Factbook 2025, p. 48; ICA ↗

S&P Global · 2040 outlook

Demand grows. Supply takes time.

Power grids, electric vehicles, AI and industry are driving copper demand.

10 million tonnes Potential annual shortfall by 2040 without meaningful supply expansion.

Source: S&P Global · Copper in the Age of AI, 2026 ↗

Annual highs · 1994–2026

LME copper: annual price highs.

Highest daily cash-settlement price each year · US dollars per tonne.

Annual cash-settlement highs, US dollars per tonne. 2026 data through 30 September. 1994: $3,088; 1995: $3,233; 1996: $2,841; 1997: $2,719; 1998: $1,880; 1999: $1,846; 2000: $2,009; 2001: $1,837; 2002: $1,690; 2003: $2,321; 2004: $3,287; 2005: $4,650; 2006: $8,788; 2007: $8,301; 2008: $8,985; 2009: $7,346; 2010: $9,740; 2011: $10,148; 2012: $8,658; 2013: $8,243; 2014: $7,440; 2015: $6,448; 2016: $5,936; 2017: $7,216; 2018: $7,263; 2019: $6,572; 2020: $7,964; 2021: $10,725; 2022: $10,730; 2023: $9,436; 2024: $10,857; 2025: $12,512; 2026: $14,850.$0$5,000$10,000$15,000$3,233$2,009$4,650$9,740$6,448$7,964$14,8501995200520152026

Sources: IWCC · 1994–2022 annual High Cash column, p. 1; Westmetall · 2023–2026 daily cash-settlement prices.

View every annual high and its source
YearHigh · US$/tonneSource period / dateSource
1994$3,088Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
1995$3,233Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
1996$2,841Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
1997$2,719Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
1998$1,880Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
1999$1,846Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2000$2,009Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2001$1,837Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2002$1,690Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2003$2,321Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2004$3,287Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2005$4,650Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2006$8,788Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2007$8,301Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2008$8,985Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2009$7,346Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2010$9,740Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2011$10,148Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2012$8,658Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2013$8,243Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2014$7,440Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2015$6,448Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2016$5,936Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2017$7,216Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2018$7,263Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2019$6,572Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2020$7,964Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2021$10,725Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2022$10,730Annual high published in sourceIWCC · p. 1 · High Cash
2023$9,43618. January 2023Westmetall · 18. January 2023
2024$10,85720. May 2024Westmetall · 20. May 2024
2025$12,51230. December 2025Westmetall · 30. December 2025
2026$14,85017. August 2026Westmetall · 17. August 2026

Thermal conductivity at cryogenic temperatures.

Thermal conductivity of solids versus temperature on logarithmic axes. Curves include annealed 99.999% copper at RRR 2000, ETP and OFHC copper at RRR 50, aluminium, sapphire, diamond, alloys and polymers.

Source: Jack W. Ekin, Experimental Techniques in Low Temperature Measurements, Oxford University Press (2006, 2007), Fig. 6.13. View chart.

Copper purity and RRR examples

CopperRRR
5,760
2,000
2,000
1,000
≈100
50
40–50
<25

Hover a copper type to compare its reference RRR.

Keep the material in circulation

Recycling is already
part of the supply.

Secondary refined copper production reached 4.7 million tonnes in 2024. Additional scrap was melted directly into products, outside this figure.

Aeramine is developing high-purity, low oxygen copper from recycled feedstock.

Source: ICSG World Copper Factbook 2025, pp. 5, 53–55 ↗

  1. 01Recover

    Recycled feedstock

  2. 02Refine

    High-purity copper

  3. 03Reuse

    New applications

Explore Aeramine’s technology ↗
Let’s build what’s next

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