Electricity grids are at the core of the global energy transition, requiring ongoing modernisation and expansion to accommodate increasing renewable energy integration, electrification, and digitalisation. However, both the expansion and retrofitting of the grid face significant challenges, particularly in the context of material requirements, resource scarcity and constrains within grid infrastructure supply chains. 

As the world transitions to a renewables-based energy system, the electrification of industrial, transport, housing and other sectors intensifies. In turn, the demand for electricity grid infrastructure grows, creating further pressures on the production and delivery of critical grid technologies. In this context, the substantial amounts of resources and materials needed for the grid expansion, and their uneven distribution across the globe, create additional challenges related to ensuring a just and sustainable global energy transition.