Promise of the Future, Legacies of the Past: The Challenge of Exploring Critical Minerals in Brazil

Written by Roberta Souza

Published on 30/08/2024 at 00:50

Updated on 30/08/2024 at 00:52

foto/reprodução: ia

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With Large Reserves and Little Strategy, The Extraction of Minerals for Energy Transition Brings The Same Dilemmas as Other Exploratory Cycles

The so-called critical minerals, essential for the energy transition, are the new focus of major economic powers. Materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, graphite, and rare earths have become vital for economic security and the transformation towards a low-carbon economy. Countries like China and the United States prioritize these minerals to ensure their economic security, while the European Union and Canada see them as the key to a sustainable future, according to the site jota.

Brazil, with its vast reserves of niobium, graphite, rare earths, and nickel, is in a privileged position. The country holds 94.12% of global niobium reserves, 22.42% of graphite, 16.15% of rare earths, and 16% of global nickel. These natural resources, essential for the production of batteries and power transmission lines, position Brazil as a crucial player in the race for a green economy.

Challenges of a Familiar Problem: The Lack of Strategy and The Risk of Repeating Mistakes

“rare earths”, “critical minerals”, “mining”, “mining company” — photo/reproduction: newsfrombrazilmining

Despite the immense potential, Brazil faces historical challenges in mineral exploration. The lack of a clear strategy and reliance on exporting raw materials without added value threaten to repeat the mistakes of previous exploration cycles. Elaine Santos, a researcher at USP, highlights the lack of cohesion between government, companies, and other actors in defining a national strategy. The country finds itself at a crossroads between following the traditional path of a major exporter of minerals or developing a local green industry that could ensure greater long-term economic development and create quality jobs.

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Risks and Regulation: Lessons from Past Disasters

Mineral exploration in Brazil carries a history of environmental disasters and regulatory failures. The dam failures in Mariana and Brumadinho and the collapse of rock salt exploration in Maceió highlight the sector’s fragilities. These events not only caused environmental destruction but also profoundly affected local communities, emphasizing the need for more stringent regulation and a sustainable model for the exploration of strategic minerals.

The pressure to explore sensitive regions, such as Indigenous Lands and Conservation Units, adds a layer of complexity to the challenge. Environmentalists warn of the need to protect these areas and implement stricter environmental licensing. However, the inclusion of projects in high-risk areas, such as gold exploration in the Volta Grande do Xingu, shows that the country still has a long way to go in balancing economic development with environmental and social preservation.

Brazil stands on the brink of a new era of mineral exploration, with the potential to lead the global energy transition. However, without a clear and sustainable strategy, it risks repeating the same mistakes of the past, where natural wealth benefited a few and left a trail of inequality and environmental degradation.

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Promise of the Future, Legacies of the Past: The Challenge of Exploring Critical Minerals in Brazil

With Large Reserves and Little Strategy, The Extraction of Minerals for Energy Transition Brings The Same Dilemmas as Other Exploratory Cycles

Challenges of a Familiar Problem: The Lack of Strategy and The Risk of Repeating Mistakes

Risks and Regulation: Lessons from Past Disasters

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Promise of the Future, Legacies of the Past: The Challenge of Exploring Critical Minerals in Brazil

With Large Reserves and Little Strategy, The Extraction of Minerals for Energy Transition Brings The Same Dilemmas as Other Exploratory Cycles

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Seen from space, an image taken by an astronaut shows an unlikely oasis in the Saudi Arabian desert, protected by a terrain that slows the advance of sand, surrounded by green circles, remnants of an extinct lake and nearly 10,000 years of preserved history.

The oldest tree in the world, alive since before the birth of Jesus Christ, is cut down in a scientific study and the case changes environmental preservation rules.

An entire island in the Pacific wants to surround itself with a colossal barrier against the ocean to try to escape increasingly violent waves and not be swallowed by the sea in the coming decades.

After ten days orbiting the Moon, science confirms that the astronauts of the Artemis II mission return with altered bodies.

Peru built a tunnel at an altitude of 4,738 meters cutting through the Andes Mountains, and the road leading to it reaches 4,818 meters, making it the highest paved road in the entire world.

In the Saudi Arabian desert, the world’s largest green hydrogen plant is 80% complete and will use 4 gigawatts of solar and wind energy to produce 600 tons of clean fuel per day when it opens in 2027.

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