The Great Sand Game: The Unsung Strategic Material for Chip Manufacturing

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The Hidden Power of Sand

Sand is the second most exploited natural resource globally, second only to water, and it plays a vital role in our everyday lives.
You may not have noticed it, but modern cities are quite literally built from sand.

The concrete used to construct our homes, shopping centers, offices, and apartments, along with the asphalt that allows us to zoom around in our cars, primarily consists of a mixture of sand and gravel.
Even the glass in our windows, the windshield of vehicles, and the screens of the smartphones or computers we’re using to read this article are composed of molten sand.
Not to mention the silicon chips that power our high-tech products—yes, sand is involved here too.

Surprisingly, the extraction of sand has tripled in the last two decades.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), demand reached 50 billion tons annually in 2019.
To grasp this staggering figure, consider that the annual volume of sand used could construct a wall around the Earth’s equator measuring 27 meters high and wide.

The Challenges Surrounding Sand

There are three critical considerations regarding this invaluable strategic material: 1) the world is depleting its sand reserves; 2) sand extraction often involves polluting processes that negate other green initiatives; and 3) controlling sand resources will provide significant economic advantages in the future.

Every year, humanity consumes around 50 billion tons of “aggregates”—a term for sand and gravel—for various activities.
The BBC reported that this amount is enough to cover the entire surface area of the United Kingdom.

This leads to the first issue: sand scarcity.
While desert sand seems abundant, it is largely unsuitable for construction because its grains are too smooth and rounded.
The sand we need is angular and mainly found in rivers, floodplains, lakes, and coastal shores.

Simply put, extracting tens of billions of tons of sand annually—alongside increasing urbanization and technological development—undoubtedly impacts the environment.
In many countries, the extraction and use of sand remain unregulated, meaning humanity is consuming sand faster than geological processes can replenish it.

According to UNEP, extracting sand from rivers and marine ecosystems can lead to erosion, salinization of aquifers, loss of protection against wave damage, and impacts on biodiversity—factors that threaten livelihoods reliant on water supply, food production, fishing, and tourism.

The Geopolitical Aspect

The intertwined issues of sand scarcity and environmental damage invoke geopolitical factors as well—chiefly, who controls the sand market.
As of 2022, the United States was the world’s largest exporter, with an export value of $569 million, followed by the Netherlands at $223.5 million, Germany over $147 million, and others, including Malaysia and France.

Oddly enough, China, typically at the top of global supply lists, is absent here due to its immense sand demand.
Though official data is lacking, it is believed that China has used more sand in the last decade than the U.S.
did throughout the entire 20th century.
Seeking to reduce reliance on rival nations, China is fervently trying to extract sand domestically.

Despite being surrounded by vast deserts, the United Arab Emirates has to import the right type of sand from Australia.
Understanding these peculiarities of the sand game may lead to future economic domination.

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