📋 Tender Overview
How can the Senate ensure that the exploitation of rare land does not compromise national sovereignty? How to think of mining in Brazil today taking into account the environmental scenario on the planet? How will the environmental impacts be treated? Is there the possibility of fostering startups for exploration, processing and use of rare land? These were some of the many questions presented by the citizens who accompanied on Wednesday (17) public hearing of the Science and Technology Commission (CCT) on the challenges and the economic impact of mining and the benefit of rare lands.
Rare lands are a set of 17 minerals used as a raw material for sectors considered critical, such as mobility, defense, advanced electronics and energy transition. These elements are not rare in nature, but they are difficult to separate.
The theme, which has caught the attention from around the world, including with international pressure, was debated at the hearing by representatives of four ministries - Mines and Energy (MME), Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), and Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC) and Fazenda (MF) - which confirmed the need for more investments, as last week ,.
Potential
Data presented by MME point out that Brazil has the second largest rare land reserve in the world (23.1%) - behind only China - but the Brazilian percentage can be much greater in view of what is still unknown.
The main reserves known today in the country are in the states of Goias, Minas Gerais, Amazonas and Bahia. The country is the sixth largest lithium holder, second largest in Graffiti, the largest in Niobium and the room in manganese. But production in Brazil of these minerals is still ridiculous when compared to other countries.
- This demonstrates the absurd potential that Brazil has to produce these minerals to meet this future demand for the energy transition. [...] We at the Ministry have developed public policies to increase geological mapping in the country, including to allow us to attract more investments - said the director of the MME Mineral Transformation and Mineral Technology Department, Anderson Barreto Arruda.
The director also added that Brazil holds one of the largest sustainable mining in the world, facing a rigid legal framework, with very firm and active control instructions, as well as one of the countries with one of the largest clean energy matrices in the world.
- Brazil has the capacity for innovation, of professionals, both in energy, mining. We need incentives to transform this potential, this capacity, in reality. Our consumer market is very relevant and even demands these minerals to our industry - said Arruda.
According to the MME representation, the country has the potential to become a great world reference in strategic critical minerals. He points out that there is no energy transition without critical minerals: the demand associated with energy transition tends to grow rapidly by 2040, in the order from 2 to 8 times worldwide.
- There is a limited offer, which today the world cannot meet. Asia is a major producer of critical minerals, both in production and processing of their minerals. The rest of the western world seeks alternatives for this supply and Brazil can be this world player to serve this market that seeks supply diversification - added Arruda.
Policies
Coordinator of Innovation in Sectoral Technologies of the Secretariat of Technological Development and Innovation of MCTI, Tassia Arraes reported that the theme of strategic minerals is directly or indirectly cited in several of national public policies.
She cited the new PAC [Growth Acceleration Program] in transition and energy security; the ecological transformation plan [MF], with technological densification and circular economy; In Nova Industria Brasil [MDIC] and the National Energy Security Plan [MME], decarbonization, transition and energy security, as well as the Climate [Ministry of the Environment] Plan, regarding decarbonization and research and development.
The coordinator highlighted the need to expand public and private investments in PDI, the need for training and training of specialized human resources, strengthening research infrastructures of science and technology institutions [ICTs] and universities, and conducting technological prospective studies.
Add value
According to the general coordinator of MDIC Metallurgy and Forest Base Industries, Tolio Edeo Ribeiro, the central challenge is really transforming geological potential with value aggregation, with densification of productive chains.
- We need to know how to transform our potential for these reserves into investment, job and technological catch up to Brazil. [...] We dont want to be just a producer and exportOre of strategic critical minerals, we want to add value, generating jobs in the country.
The General Coordinator of Energy and Mining of the MF Secretariat of Economic Reforms, Carlos Omildo dos Santos Colombo, said that the theme of rare land and critical minerals have been widely worked in recent days due to international pressure, but the discussion is quite old and has a large priority in the ecological transformation plan.
We had a prominence in the past regarding production and today we have the challenge of returning to this production, said Colombo.
He pointed out that implementation tax reform brings principles that are fundamental to investments in mining and should contribute to the mineral sector from a more favorable business environment, the exemption of investments in capital goods and the exemption of exports.
Articulation
One of the authors of the requirements for the hearing, Senator Teresa Leitao (PT-PE) highlighted the involvement of the four ministries in the rare lands debate, which, according to her, indicates an imperative need for articulation.
- I see with very good eyes the strategic task of adding values in the good direction and use of this potential, still partially explored. [...]
