In a new data-driven research paper Energy Point Minerals agrues that by 2028, pressure on qualified ultra-high-purity silica supply will begin to intensify, driven by accelerating demand from artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, photonics, fiber-optic communications, robotics, aerospace and defense systems, quantum technologies, and advanced medical applications.
Rather than treating silica as a conventional industrial commodity, the paper frames ultra-high-purity silica as a foundational enabling material for the transition to optical and photonic computing architectures. It concludes that the core challenge is not the availability of silica in nature, but the scarcity of economically viable deposits capable of consistently producing 6N- and 7N-grade material for next-generation technologies.
Drawing on publicly available work from University College London, Oxford, MIT, and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institutes, as well as published market data, the research examines how advances in photonics, silicon photonics, and quantum systems are reshaping future material demand. It suggests that the convergence of AI, optical communications, and quantum devices is quietly rewriting what counts as a “critical mineral” for industrial policy and national competitiveness.
“The first digital economy was built on electricity and copper,” said Jason Roe, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Energy Point Minerals. “The next industrial era will increasingly be built on light. As computing transitions toward photonics, optical communications, and advanced semiconductor architectures, ultra-high-purity silica becomes one of the foundational materials enabling that transition. The strategic question is no longer whether demand will grow, but whether qualified 6N+ and 7N silica supply can scale fast enough.”
Energy Point Minerals reports that laboratory testing of material from its Nevada project has produced approximately 99.99997% silicon dioxide (6N+), with additional processing aimed at advancing the material toward qualification for 7N-grade applications across emerging semiconductor, photonic, communications, sensing, and other advanced-manufacturing markets. The company states that commercially scalable deposits capable of reliably supplying material at these purity levels remain uncommon worldwide. To the best of its knowledge, current U.S. production remains below 6N, while existing 5N+ silica supply streams are struggling to keep pace with accelerating AI-driven demand.
Roe’s interest in the convergence of light, information systems, and advanced materials predates the current wave of generative AI. In 2016, he authored The Force Is In You, a work federally registered with the U.S. Copyright Office under Registration No. TX 8-278-496. The book explored concepts such as DNA-based information storage, liquid data storage, magnetic systems, and future information architectures years before the large-scale adoption of AI. It examined how magnetic fields, water structure, and quantum biology might influence information processing—a perspective that now informs Energy Point Minerals’ view of silica as a core substrate for optical and quantum systems.
“Most people still think silica is simply sand,” Roe said. “In reality, it is increasingly becoming one of the foundational materials upon which advanced optical systems, AI infrastructure, photonics, semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace technologies, and future communications depend. Nations that establish reliable domestic supplies of ultra-high-purity silica will be better positioned to support the industries defining the next generation of advanced manufacturing.”
Energy Point Minerals maintains that Nevada is strategically positioned to become a significant domestic source of 6N+ ultra-high-purity silica as the United States expands investment in semiconductor capacity, AI data-center infrastructure, and critical-mineral supply chains. The company says it intends to prioritize U.S.-based advanced manufacturers while continuing technical validation, commercial qualification, and the development of strategic partnerships.
The publication forms part of Energy Point Minerals’ broader research initiative at the intersection of critical minerals, AI infrastructure, photonics, semiconductor manufacturing, and long-term industrial competitiveness. The company expects to continue releasing technical and strategic analyses on emerging material constraints that could shape the trajectory of advanced technologies in the coming decade.
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