Supplies of rare-earth metals are at risk of being disrupted and the US should reopen mines even if China sticks by its pledge to provide sufficient volumes of the material, according to the US Energy Department, Bloomberg reported. A study of five of the 14 acknowledged rare earths found that supplies of dysprosium, used to make wind turbines and electric vehicles, may fall short of demand. Wind turbines, photovoltaic cells and electric vehicles account for about 20% of global demand for rare-earth metals and, as more clean energy technologies are developed, the demand-supply imbalance could well increase, said David Sandalow, the department’s assistant secretary for policy and international affairs. China is currently responsible for 90% of rare earth output and holds about 36% of global reserves. The country’s rare earth exports fell by more than 20% between 2005 and 2009 and are expected to drop by 40% this year after export quotas were reduced.
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