copper
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CT: What role does copper play in the energy transition?

An essential metal for modern energy systems
Copper is an essential metal for the functioning of modern energy systems. It is widely used in electrical networks, renewable energy production equipment, and industrial infrastructure. Its presence is indispensable for ensuring the reliable transmission of electricity, both on a large scale and in everyday use.
In the context of the energy transition, the development of renewable energies, electrification of uses, and low-carbon technologies relies heavily on this metal. Without copper, it would be impossible to effectively deploy these new energy systems.

Electrical conductivity at the heart of energy performance
Copper’s high electrical conductivity helps limit energy losses during the transmission and distribution of electricity. This performance contributes directly to the energy efficiency of networks and equipment.
Thanks to its electrical conductivity, copper reduces energy losses by 5 to 10% in electrical networks, indirectly contributing to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Thanks to its low electrical resistance, copper improves the reliability of installations, reduces maintenance requirements, and extends the service life of infrastructure. These properties explain why it remains the benchmark material for supporting the global energy transition.

S: gindre (last access: 31 January 2026)

N: 1. [Middle English coper, from Old English, from Late Latin cuprum, from Latin Cyprium (aes), Cyprian (metal), from Cyprius, of Cyprus, from Greek Kuprios, from Kupros, Cyprus.]

The earliest known use of the noun copper is in the Old English period (pre-1150).

  • malleable metallic element, noted for its peculiar red color, tenacity, malleability, and electric conductivity, late Old English coper, from Proto-Germanic *kupar(source also of Middle Dutch koper, Old Norse koparr, Old High German kupfar), from Late Latin cuprum, contraction of Latin Cyprium (aes) “Cyprian (metal),” after Greek Kyprios “Cyprus.”
  • Ancient Greek had khalkos“ore, copper, bronze;” an old IE word for “ore, copper, bronze” is retained in Sanskrit ayah, Latin aes. Latin aes originally was “copper,” but this was extended to its alloy with tin, and as this was far more extensively used than pure copper, the word’s primary sense shifted to the alloy and a new word evolved for “copper,” from the Latin form of the name of the island of Cyprus, where copper was mined (the alchemists associated copper with Venus).
  • Aespassed into Germanic (which originally did not distinguish copper from its alloys) and became English “ore”. In Latin, aes was the common word for “cash, coin, debt, wages” in many figurative expressions. Chemical symbol Cu is from cuprum.
  • As “a coppercoin,” from 1580s; as “a vessel made of copper,” 1660s. The adjective, “of or resembling copper,” is from 1570s; the verb, “to cover with copper” is from 1520s.

2. A ductile, malleable, reddish-brown metallic element that is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity and is widely used for electrical wiring, water piping, and corrosion-resistant parts, either pure or in alloys such as brass and bronze. Atomic number 29; atomic weight 63.546; melting point 1,085°C; boiling point 2,562°C; specific gravity 8.96; valence 1, 2.

Additional to the entry used for this term, the American Heritage Dictionary offers four other entries:

  • A coin, usually of small denomination, made of copper or a copper alloy.
  • Chiefly British A large cooking pot made of copper or often of iron.
  • Any of various small butterflies of the subfamily Lycaeninae, having predominantly copper-colored wings.
  • A reddish brown.

In British English, in a colloquial context, it may mean: a police officer, especially one who is wearing a uniform. This term is used mainly in informal speech and in fictional or journalistic contexts.

3. In Green Energy, copper is mainly use in the fields of: solar power, wind power, hydropower, battery storage, smart grids, electric vehicles, renewable energy transmission, energy efficiency, recycling, technical innovation.

4. Chemistry; Geochemistry; Copper and Copper Alloys (Metallurgy); Compartment – Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission: copper, elemental copper.

  • Symbol: Cu.
  • CAS number: 7440-50-8.
  • A reddish metallic element in group I of the periodic system which has the symbol Cu, a specific gravity of 8.96, melts at 1,083°C, boils at 2,595°C, is malleable, ductile, presents a high electrical and thermal conductivity and a good resistance to corrosion.
  • copper: term adopted by Environment Canada; used in the list of pollutants measured in the National Air Pollution Surveillance Network (NAPS).

5. Collocations:

  • molten – beaten – unalloyed – burnished
  • mine – produce – be alloyed with
  • be alloyed with [sth]
  • mine – miner – mining, smelting – deposit, ore – alloy, sulphate – coin, ingot, pipe, plate, wire – engraving
  • in ~
  • an alloy of copper and/with [sth]

6. Cultural Interrelation: We can mention two books and a movie, respectively.

  • The Copper Treasure (1999) by Melvin Burgess.
  • The Copper Scroll (2006) by Joel C. Rosenberg.
  • Red Metal (The Copper Country Strike of 1973) released in 2013 and directed by Jonathan Silvers.

F: 1. AHD (last access: 31 January 2026); Etymonline (last access: 31 January 2026); OED (last access: 31 January 2026). 2. AHD (last access: 31 January 2026); OED (last access: 31 January 2026). 3. FQM (last access: 31 January 2026). 4. TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 31 January 2026). 5. OZDIC (last access: 31 January 2026). 6. GR – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1500557, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/390165 (last access: 31 January 2026); IMDb (last access: 31 January 2026).

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CR: copper, electricity, floating buoy, hybrid car, neodymium, nickel, renewable energy, renewable energy integration, resistivity, solar energy, storage battery, wind energy.