Brazil Has the Potential to Be a Leader in Mineral Exploration for Energy Transition, Experts Say at CEBRI Event

Written by Paulo Nogueira

Published on 15/04/2022 at 17:05

Fonte: Governo Federal

Be the first to react!

Country’s Dependence on Fertilizer Imports, Such as Potassium, However, Highlighted the Lack of Investment in Science and Technology for Mineral Extraction in the Country

One of the largest exporters of iron ore in the world, Brazil currently finds itself in a situation of external dependence on another critical mineral for food production: potassium, used as a fertilizer in agribusiness, and imported from Russia. The Ukraine War and the new global geopolitical scenario have highlighted the country’s vulnerability regarding the extraction of strategic minerals. Currently, mining is already an important part of Brazil’s GDP, with revenues of R$ 339 billion/year.

Although it has a good diversity of mineral reserves, the lack of adequate investment in science and technology has been the major obstacle to the development of sustainable mineral extraction in the country, just as technical training and a clear regulatory policy.

Iron ore accounts for 70% of Brazil’s mineral extraction, but there are also reserves of lithium, copper, potassium, graphite, among others, in national territory, which could be mapped and explored by the public sector in partnership with the private sector.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

There Are 24 Strategic Minerals for Brazil

In the webinar Strategic Minerals and the Energy Transition, held by the Energy Nucleus of the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI), experts warned that strategic minerals are important assets in the new geopolitical configuration of value chains. According to official surveys, there are currently 24 minerals listed as strategic for the country. Some of them are important for low-carbon technologies, which will cause exponential demand growth until 2050.

“A window of opportunity for the energy transition is open, and Brazil, although not a geopolitical power, is an environmental power. We have a good diversity of minerals. Brazil could be a leader in sustainable mineral extraction in a scenario of energy transition,” emphasized the Vice President of the CEBRI Board, Jorge Camargo.

An electric car, for example, requires six times more mineral inputs than a conventional car. According to estimates from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the demand for lithium is expected to grow 40 times by 2040, and demand for cobalt, graphite, and nickel between 20 and 25 times. The presence of these minerals in Brazilian lands means that the country has enormous potential in this area.

Esteves Pedro Colnago, President of the Geological Service of Brazil, emphasized during the webinar the difficulties in mapping Brazil’s geological reserves. “It is the responsibility of the geological service of Brazil to know, store, and disseminate Brazil’s mineral heritage. We are getting closer to companies that are interested in contributing. There are difficulties, and private sector investments are needed,” he pointed out. Colnago stressed that the size of the Brazilian territory requires a focus plan on already discovered reserves that have proven potential.

According to Julio Nery, Director of Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs at IBRAM and President of the Brazilian Commission of Resources and Reserves (CBRR), there are enormous challenges for mineral extraction in Brazil, and only 0.06% of the territory is explored, although the potential for wealth generation from mineral extraction is great. “The risk for research in mineral extraction is high, so it should be shared between the public and private sectors,” he reflected.

Investments in Mineral Exploration Technologies

Edson Ribeiro, Director of Exploration and Mineral Projects at Vale, pointed out that countries in the European Union, Canada, and China are well ahead of Brazil in science and technology investments for sustainable mapping and exploration of strategic minerals. According to him, mineral extraction cannot be dissociated from good environmental practices.

According to Carlos Cesar Peiter from the Mineral Technology Center of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil has lost state research centers in Bahia, Minas Gerais, and Rio Grande do Sul that were important for the research and development of mineral extraction in the country. The researcher mentioned the National Fertilizers Plan and the National Mining Program 2050, which is being developed, as important initiatives for Brazil to not miss opportunities in the energy transition.

According to the participants, it is also necessary to combat misinformation and prejudice against mineral extraction in the country. “IBRAM believes that it is possible to develop responsible mining, even on indigenous land; this already occurs in other countries sustainably. It cannot be done without the community’s consent. There is a proposal in parliament, and this is provided for in the Constitution. Mineral extraction should be carried out in any part of the territory in a sustainable and organized manner, with the dissemination of good practices. It is important to increase society’s trust in the sector,” said Julio Nery.

Author Source – CEBRI

Brazil Has the Potential to Be a Leader in Mineral Exploration for Energy Transition, Experts Say at CEBRI Event

Country’s Dependence on Fertilizer Imports, Such as Potassium, However, Highlighted the Lack of Investment in Science and Technology for Mineral Extraction in the Country

There Are 24 Strategic Minerals for Brazil

Investments in Mineral Exploration Technologies

A village with 115 inhabitants wants new residents: it offers a house, a job, up to 44 thousand euros in benefits, almost free rent, an annual grant of 8 thousand euros for 3 years, and a 20 thousand euro incentive for businesses in the mountains of Italy.

Seven world powers including the US, China, and Russia are spending €22 billion on a reactor in the south of France that aims to confine plasma at 150 million degrees Celsius, ten times the temperature of the Sun’s core, using a magnetic field capable of lifting an entire aircraft carrier.

With a wingspan of 152 meters, 76 tires, and a capacity to carry 1,270 tons, the Boeing Pelican was the giant “flying ship” that promised to cross oceans close to the water on an invisible air cushion beneath its wings.

Elon Musk’s internet comes to mobile: Starlink technology connects smartphones without an antenna via satellite, works even without carrier signal, already costs just US$10 extra in the US, and could arrive in Brazil as an included benefit.

While countries spend billions to draw water from the sea, a Nobel-winning scientist creates a container-sized machine that extracts up to 1,000 liters per day from dry air and uses ultrasound to release water in minutes, even in the middle of the desert.

After 16 years and almost 600 prototypes, a Chinese inventor unveils the world’s smallest and cheapest manned jet, at just 3.80 meters long and costing US$7.2 thousand in materials.

Belgium will sink 23 giant concrete caissons, each weighing 22,000 tons, in the North Sea to build the world’s first artificial energy island 45 km off the coast, forming offshore electrical walls.

China’s neighbor surprises the world by hitting 1,200 seconds in a hypersonic missile engine test and sparking a military alert.

With a 1.6-liter 118 hp engine, a 460-liter trunk, and a 7-inch multimedia system, the Nissan V-Drive 2026 is sold in Mexico starting at 339,900 Mexican pesos and relies on low maintenance costs to win over app drivers, fleet owners, and self-employed professionals.

Fuel cells that use bacteria on the seabed could eliminate expensive battery replacement and keep submerged sensors working for much longer.

While countries compete for land for solar panels, Switzerland unrolls solar panels like a carpet between the tracks of an active railway.

The duel between Shein and Temu gained a new chapter in London, with accusations of mass copying, a dispute over suppliers, and an impact on global fast-fashion.

Brazil Has the Potential to Be a Leader in Mineral Exploration for Energy Transition, Experts Say at CEBRI Event

Country’s Dependence on Fertilizer Imports, Such as Potassium, However, Highlighted the Lack of Investment in Science and Technology for Mineral Extraction in the Country

There Are 24 Strategic Minerals for Brazil

Investments in Mineral Exploration Technologies

A village with 115 inhabitants wants new residents: it offers a house, a job, up to 44 thousand euros in benefits, almost free rent, an annual grant of 8 thousand euros for 3 years, and a 20 thousand euro incentive for businesses in the mountains of Italy.

Seven world powers including the US, China, and Russia are spending €22 billion on a reactor in the south of France that aims to confine plasma at 150 million degrees Celsius, ten times the temperature of the Sun’s core, using a magnetic field capable of lifting an entire aircraft carrier.

With a wingspan of 152 meters, 76 tires, and a capacity to carry 1,270 tons, the Boeing Pelican was the giant “flying ship” that promised to cross oceans close to the water on an invisible air cushion beneath its wings.

Elon Musk’s internet comes to mobile: Starlink technology connects smartphones without an antenna via satellite, works even without carrier signal, already costs just US$10 extra in the US, and could arrive in Brazil as an included benefit.

While countries spend billions to draw water from the sea, a Nobel-winning scientist creates a container-sized machine that extracts up to 1,000 liters per day from dry air and uses ultrasound to release water in minutes, even in the middle of the desert.

After 16 years and almost 600 prototypes, a Chinese inventor unveils the world’s smallest and cheapest manned jet, at just 3.80 meters long and costing US$7.2 thousand in materials.

Belgium will sink 23 giant concrete caissons, each weighing 22,000 tons, in the North Sea to build the world’s first artificial energy island 45 km off the coast, forming offshore electrical walls.

With 50 tons of plastic waste, a 30-meter bridge was assembled over a river in Scotland. It seems like an ordinary construction, but it doesn’t use traditional wood or steel and can even be disassembled.

Without concrete, without traditional cleaning, and without common separation, a block made of recycled plastic transforms problematic waste into a rigid piece for walls and structures.

With 1,500 plastic bottles and bamboo, a simple, triangular house transforms into an emergency shelter, born from urban waste, can be assembled collectively, and can be an option in remote areas and humanitarian crises.

With 6,200 discarded toys, a 357 m² house in India transforms children’s plastic waste and compressed earth into a wall, a colorful facade, and a curious attraction for neighborhood children.

Recycled plastic blocks turn into giant Lego for construction, promising to build walls with hammer and nails, reducing cement use, and even removing waste from landfills and rivers.

China’s neighbor surprises the world by hitting 1,200 seconds in a hypersonic missile engine test and sparking a military alert.

With a 1.6-liter 118 hp engine, a 460-liter trunk, and a 7-inch multimedia system, the Nissan V-Drive 2026 is sold in Mexico starting at 339,900 Mexican pesos and relies on low maintenance costs to win over app drivers, fleet owners, and self-employed professionals.

Fuel cells that use bacteria on the seabed could eliminate expensive battery replacement and keep submerged sensors working for much longer.

While countries compete for land for solar panels, Switzerland unrolls solar panels like a carpet between the tracks of an active railway.

The duel between Shein and Temu gained a new chapter in London, with accusations of mass copying, a dispute over suppliers, and an impact on global fast-fashion.