Tom Hegen
Photographer
In their own words
As I researched the energy transition more deeply, I realised that moving away from fossil fuels does not mean moving away from resource extraction. Instead, we are entering a new era of mineral dependency. Many of these resources are concentrated in just a handful of countries, creating new geopolitical dependencies and vulnerabilities
This realisation became the starting point for The Mineral Age.
Industrialised countries in the Global North are major consumers of minerals that are often extracted in developing regions of the Global South. This imbalance is shaped by geology, economic structures, cheaper labour, and weaker environmental regulations.
We tend to celebrate the promise of clean technologies without paying much attention to the landscapes being transformed to make them possible.
Ultimately, The Mineral Age is about the landscapes behind our modern lives, and the consequences of building the future.
As I researched the energy transition more deeply, I realised that moving away from fossil fuels does not mean moving away from resource extraction. Instead, we are entering a new era of mineral dependency. Many of these resources are concentrated in just a handful of countries, creating new geopolitical dependencies and vulnerabilities
This realisation became the starting point for The Mineral Age.
Industrialised countries in the Global North are major consumers of minerals that are often extracted in developing regions of the Global South. This imbalance is shaped by geology, economic structures, cheaper labour, and weaker environmental regulations.
We tend to celebrate the promise of clean technologies without paying much attention to the landscapes being transformed to make them possible.
Ultimately, The Mineral Age is about the landscapes behind our modern lives, and the consequences of building the future.
Articles & interviews3
- Tom Hegen book documents mines behind clean energy
Photographer Tom Hegen's new book, The Mineral Age, documents the mineral mines that supply lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper for electric vehicles, batteries and renewable-energy infrastructure. Developed over six years, the project uses 247 aerial photographs to expose the environmental, social and geopolitical costs of extraction, particularly the imbalance between consumption in the Global North and mining impacts in the Global South.
- Tom Hegen documents mines powering the clean energy transition
Photographer Tom Hegen's new book, The Mineral Age, presents 247 aerial photographs of mines that extract lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper for low-carbon technologies. Developed over six years, the research-led project examines the environmental, social and geopolitical costs of mineral extraction that underpin the clean-energy transition.
- Tom Hegen book documents mines behind clean energy
Photographer Tom Hegen's new book, The Mineral Age, documents the mines supplying lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper for electric vehicles, batteries and renewable-energy infrastructure. Developed over six years, the book uses 247 aerial photographs to expose the environmental, social and geopolitical consequences of mineral extraction, particularly the imbalance between consumption in the Global North and extraction in the Global South.