ROSE-Trans – The Role of Secondary Resources in the Austrian Energy Transition

A concerted worldwide effort to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement, i.e., climate stabilisation to well below +2°C above pre-industrial levels, and decarbonisation until mid-century, brings about a substantial increase in raw material demand for clean energy technologies. Yet, energy transition raw materials show high emission intensities in production. Producing secondary resources, in particular metals, from recycling End-of-Life (EoL) waste streams of photovoltaics, e-vehicles, and wind (PEW) requires substantially less energy input than converting it from ore. Recovering resources from waste streams through recycling therefore relieves pressure i.a. in primary resource supply, and climate mitigation. Despite a growing stock of literature on the beneficial effects of circular material principles such as recycling, the evidence base for its economic potentials at system level (i.e., for nation states) remains vague. The aim of the study is firstly, to quantify the potential of EoL waste streams of PEW, including the strategic raw materials for recycling resulting from decarbonizing the Austrian economy, and secondly, to assess the economic impacts from potential recycling loops of PEW using the macroeconomic model WIFO.DYNK. Results show that from an investor's point of view, recycling plants appear not to be profitable under different price assumptions. Introducing a minimum "gate-fee" for EoL waste streams can yet trigger the profitability and ensure relevant investments for recycling are made. From a macroeconomic point of view, it brings about value-added and employment creation, and additional dividends in the spheres of climate mitigation and resource security.