Copper Deficit 2035: When a Future Shortfall Becomes Today’s Investment Signal

If the world could face a meaningful gap between copper demand and supply by 2035, the market may start looking not only at major producers, but also at early copper-gold stories. In this context, NovaRed Mining adds Wilmac in Canada and an AI approach to mineral evaluation.

2035 Is Already Affecting the Market Today

In its Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025, the IEA indicates that expected mined copper supply from announced projects may not cover projected demand in 2035, with the implied copper deficit in the STEPS scenario reaching around 30%. For lithium, the implied gap is even larger — around 40%.

This matters because copper cannot be “printed” quickly. New mines often require 10–15 years from discovery to production, while older mines face lower grades, permitting delays, and capex pressure. In other words, a 2035 deficit needs to be addressed well before 2035.

Why NRED Fits Into This Theme

CSE: NRED is not a copper producer today. But the Wilmac Copper-Gold Project in British Columbia gives the company early-stage exposure to a sector where the future supply pipeline is becoming a key issue.

According to the May 21, 2026 release, Wilmac covers approximately 16,078 hectares in the Quesnel porphyry belt, within British Columbia’s Similkameen Mining Division, roughly 10 km west of Hudbay Minerals’ producing Copper Mountain Mine. It is not a confirmed resource and not a mine, but it is a land package in a jurisdiction that may look more attractive if supply security becomes more important.

The Copper Deficit Is Not Only About EVs

S&P Global estimates that global copper demand could rise from approximately 28 million metric tons in 2025 to 42 million metric tons by 2040. That is about 50% growth over 15 years. The drivers are not limited to one sector: EVs, grids, AI data centers, defense, electrification, and industrial buildout all contribute to the demand story.

For OTCQB: NREDF, this creates a macro backdrop. If demand is rising by millions of tonnes and the supply gap by 2035 could reach double digits in percentage terms, the market may look at early-stage projects before they become mines. But that does not remove risk: exploration-stage companies still have to prove the geology.

The AI Layer Adds Another Angle

NovaRed Mining has also filed non-provisional U.S. patent application №19/680,101 under 35 U.S.C. §111(a). The platform is described as a system for parcel-level mineral evaluation and transaction management using integrated geological data and probabilistic scoring.

In practical terms, this means an attempt to work faster with geological datasets, geochemical records, mining claim information, property data, and document workflows. For $NRED, this is not proof of revenue and not an issued patent, but it is an attempt to add a data-driven layer to the search for mineral opportunities.

Why This Belongs on the Radar

The key idea is simple: if by 2035 copper supply may fail to cover around 30% of projected demand, then future supply becomes a strategic issue today. The market will look at producers, recycling, substitution, permitting, and new discoveries.

NRED remains a speculative early-stage copper-gold story. Strengths include Canadian jurisdiction, Wilmac at 16,078 hectares, proximity of about 10 km to Copper Mountain, and the AI/IP angle through application №19/680,101. Weaknesses include no production, no confirmed resource, and the need for financing, fieldwork, geophysics, drilling, and real results.

Disclosure: The author does not hold a position in NovaRed Mining, CSE: NRED, or OTCQB: NREDF at the time of writing. This material is an independent informational and analytical overview and is not financial advice, investment advice, or an offer to buy or sell securities.