Energy-critical minerals are mineral and metallic raw materials that possess essential technical and economic importance for the manufacturing, deployment and operation of clean energy-related facilities, including renewable energy generators, electrochemical energy storage equipment, electric mobility hardware and power grid infrastructure ^[1]. Criticality status is jointly determined by two interrelated dimensions: supply chain related supply risk factors such as geographic concentration, geopolitical vulnerability and production concentration, and the magnitude of negative impact on clean energy transition pathways under supply disruption scenarios ^[2]. These minerals do not necessarily generate energy by themselves; their critical attribute originates from their irreplaceable material function within clean energy technology chains. The critical mineral classification boundary dynamically evolves with advances in technology, material substitution possibilities and shifts in global mineral supply and demand patterns ^[3].