Tool
What would it take?
Pick a technology and a quantity. The calculator multiplies out the material bill and puts each total next to the entire world’s annual production of that material — which is usually the number that changes how the answer feels.
10,000,000 × HVDC Transmission Cable — High-voltage direct-current cable, the technology used to move power hundreds of kilometres with low loss.
Quantities are per km of circuit indicative range tonnes of contained material
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Material | Per unit | Total, low | Total, high | World annual production | Share of a year’s supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | 20.00–120.0 t | 200.00 million t | 1.20 billion t | 23.00 million tMine production, 2025 | 5217.4% |
| Iron & Steel | 20.00–80.00 t | 200.00 million t | 800.00 million t | 360.00 million tworld iron slag production was estimated to be between 330 million and 390 million tons,, 2025 | 222.2% |
| Aluminium | 15.00–60.00 t | 150.00 million t | 600.00 million t | 74.00 million tSmelter production, 2025 | 810.8% |
| Lead Being phased out in newer designs. | 10.00–40.00 t | 100.00 million t | 400.00 million t | 4.50 million tMine production, 2025 | 8888.9% |
Intensity ranges are indicative, compiled from published technology studies and chemistry — not a manufacturer specification. World production is USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, 2025 (estimated), converted to tonnes of the same basis where the source reports thousands of tonnes or kilograms · source ↗. This is an educational order-of-magnitude tool. It is not a procurement estimate and must not be used as one.