The Availability Of Indium and Tellurium For Thin-Film Photovoltaic Materials

Indium and tellurium provide essential properties in emerging thin-film photovoltaic materials.  These elements are geochemically scarce.  Both are produced today almost exclusively as byproducts of zinc (in the case of indium) and copper (in the case of tellurium) production.  If demand for these elements increases significantly, to what degree will new supplies be able to meet this demand?  Will increased supplies come from expanded byproduct production at costs similar to recent prices?  If not, where might incremental supplies come from and at what costs?