English 
Spanish 
4 min read
37 comments
Transnordestina promises to transform the Northeast into a fixed route for the export of lithium, the mineral that drives global technologies. With 150 thousand tons/month of production, Ceará is preparing to compete in the international market and attract millions in investments.
A revolution is underway in the Brazilian Northeast.
What seemed distant and almost impossible is about to happen: the transnordestina, the largest railway in the region, not only promises to connect the interior of Ceará to the global market, but also transform the state into a powerhouse in the export of lithium, an essential mineral for cutting-edge technologies.
But how will such an ambitious project be carried out, and what will be its impact on Brazil and the world?
- How BRICS is challenging the West and changing the rules of the global economy with Brazil in the spotlight
- Cow gallstones are worth twice as much as gold! The new global agricultural craze is fetching up to US$5,8 per ounce and is shaking up traditional Chinese medicine
- Is this the end of the air conditioning era? Hong Kong researchers have developed a new air conditioning system that is 48% more efficient and will 'save' your electricity bill!
- Is the era of air conditioning over? A French startup presents a new climate control concept that promises to use 80% less energy than air conditioning!
Scheduled for completion in 2027, the railway is at the heart of a bold plan by DCL Minerais to export 150 thousand tons of lithium per month.
Produced in Quixadá, in the interior of Ceará, the mineral will arrive at the Port of Pecém before heading to markets such as China, Germany, Canada, Saudi Arabia and India.
The railway and the transportation of lithium
According to Journal of Northeast, Transnordestina will be the main route for transporting tons of lithium extracted in Quixadá, moving the mineral to the Port of Pecém, from where it will be exported to the international market.
This mineral, considered strategic, is at the heart of the technological revolution.
It is widely used in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles, cell phones and computers, as well as having applications in the aerospace and pharmaceutical industries.
Lithium transportation will be made possible through a contract between the company DCL Minerais and Transnordestina Logística S/A (TLSA).
According to DCL, all production of 150 thousand tons per month will be destined for export, consolidating Ceará as one of the main mineral production centers in Brazil.
Investments in the interior of Ceará
To make large-scale production viable, DCL Minerais is investing around R $ million 25 in a crushing and storage shed in Quixadá.
The space will have a total area of 350 thousand square meters and will have a flotation plant, a technology that allows the processing of minerals such as amblygonite, spodumene and lepidolite, transforming them into high-purity lithium.
Daniel Correa, owner of DCL, explained that the construction of the warehouse should be completed within three to five months, generating 200 empregos direct and indirect.
Upon completion, the structure will employ between 80 and 100 workers on a permanent basis.
In addition, a road will be built to connect the warehouse to the Transnordestina cargo terminal, facilitating the transportation of lithium to the port.
The project, according to Correa, already has a detailed budget and should begin in January 2024, after the area has been cleaned.
Production before the railway
Although the railway is essential for the transportation of lithium, DCL Minerais is already prepared to operate even before the completion of Transnordestina.
By 2027, transportation will be carried out by trucks, which will make around 111 daily trips to the Port of Pecém.
The first shipment of lithium produced in Ceará is scheduled for January 2024, bound for Hong Kong.
Currently, the company already produces 1.500 tons of the mineral, but the goal is to reach 150 thousand tons per month, consolidating contracts with multinationals that demand the mineral.
Ceará as a lithium production hub in Brazil
Lawyer Tomás Figueiredo, a mining specialist, highlighted that Ceará is one of the three largest lithium provinces in Brazil, alongside Minas Gerais and some regions in the North.
He emphasizes, however, that more geological studies and advances in the scale of existing maps are still needed to explore the state's full potential.
DCL Minerais, which already operates in Minas Gerais, Pará and Bahia, has 52 mining areas in Ceará, located within a radius of up to 100 km from Quixadá.
Of these, ten are already in the approval process with the National Mining Agency (ANM) to begin large-scale extraction.
Economic and strategic impact
Transnordestina, in addition to transforming the logistics scenario in the Northeast, will be crucial to strengthening Brazil's position in the global lithium market.
With the growing demand for electric vehicles and electronic devices, the export of the mineral could attract billions in investments to the country.
The arrival of the railway should also boost regional development, generating jobs and boosting the economy in the interior of Ceará.
According to experts, the project has the potential to make the Northeast a reference in the global market for strategic minerals.
Will the Transnordestina railway put Ceará at the center of the global lithium market? Comment your opinion below!
The PT handing over our country to China!
PT selling the country to China? No, the country is being sold by those who are afraid of change.
Seriously, what a change?