Data centre server racks, AI, accelerators and cooling systems still rely on finite metals such as copper, lithium and cobalt. With mineral demand expected to boom soon, the data centre industry could be left exposed and faced with equipment and technology that isn’t up to date enough.
“The data centre industry faces a hidden crisis in its reliance on critical minerals. Nearly US$7 trillion will be needed by 2030 for infrastructure and CPUs, yet most of the required metals – from copper and aluminium to rare earths and precious metals – are sourced outside the West,” Coleman explained to Capacity. “This creates strategic vulnerabilities, as constant CPU upgrades generate ongoing demand for scarce, high-grade materials.
“The ‘Data Wars’ will not just be fought over energy and water, but over mineral logistics that underpin AI development.”
Unlocking critical progress in decarbonisation
Currently, the wider data centre industry is wrestling with the rise in demand for data – which is what Coleman means by ‘Data Wars’ – and removing data could lead to supply chain disruptions. In the current geopolitical landscape, this could leave Europe’s digital infrastructure exposed.
“Europe’s digital infrastructure is highly vulnerable to both direct conflict and indirect ‘grey war’ tactics like tariffs, export bans, cyberattacks and sabotage of infrastructure,” Coleman added. “Recent examples – such as rare earth export bans, undersea cable damage and energy supply shocks – illustrate how fragile supply chains already are.”
He added: “A shooting war would present Europe with the dilemma of financing aggressors by buying their components or sacrificing progress in AI. Unlike sudden power outages, the slow degradation of mineral supply could quietly erode Europe’s competitiveness until it is too late.”
When it comes to sustainability, Coleman said that the UK – although it has an emissions trading scheme – needs stronger legislation like CBA and WEEE to drive domestic metals recycling and manufacturing.
“Orivium argues CBAM should be reframed as an economic opportunity, turning environmental compliance into profitable supply-chain engagement,” he said. “Its Carbon REITs model lets investors earn returns while decarbonising supply chains.
“By integrating such mechanisms, the UK could build a robust, low-carbon metals system that protects local industry while meeting global environmental standards.”
Enforcing a recycling culture
Orivium, a company eager to tackle mining waste, has a unique approach to regenerative mining –seeking to actively improve the environmental and social fabric surrounding mining operations. While conventional mining can result in toxic waste and tailings being left behind, Orivium says its process extracts metals at ambient temperatures in a closed loop. This, Coleman told us, eliminates harmful chemicals and emissions.
“Its technology outputs only metals, hydrogen, clean water and remediated soils, restoring environments rather than polluting them,” he said. “This enables new agriculture – mining-agriculture cycles that prevent boom-and-bust town economies.
“When applied to e-waste, Orivium can recover gold, silver, cobalt and rare earths at much higher concentrations than ore, making ‘above-ground mining’ a viable and sustainable future.”
To accelerate the adoption of regenerative mining across the technology sector, Coleman calls for policies like ETS, CBAM and WEEE – saying they are critical to driving adoption of regenerative mining.
“Together they incentivise decarbonised supply chains, ensure recycling frameworks and shift tech companies toward a circular model where components are replaced frequently but metals are reused,” he added. “This regulatory push aligns with the AI race, where servers and CPUs are constantly upgraded.
“By enforcing recycling culture, governments can reduce environmental damage while cutting long-term costs for the tech sector.”
Looking ahead, Orivium’s ideal scenario would be that governments are able to enforce policies and waste streams that are seen as valuable. Coleman explained that the company envisions waste streams ideally being treated as “valuable feedstocks under strict environmental regulation”.
He added: “The EU cannot outcompete Chinese manufacturing directly but can use subsidised imports to build reserves of refined critical metals through recycling. With two-thirds of metals’ cost tied to mining, this strategy reduces costs, strengthens domestic manufacturing and supports high wages without environmental trade-offs.
“In the long term, it could enable new business models like metal leasing, creating jobs, lowering costs for electronics and significantly reducing global mining impacts.”
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