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The sectors forecast is that global demand for energy transition minerals, important for the production of electric batteries, will increase exponentially. And Brazil is one of the largest holders of these elements. The states of Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará, for example, have lithium reserves.
The Future Fuels Law project, which aims to decarbonize the Brazilian automotive matrix, should also boost the countrys mining sector. The sectors forecast is that global demand for energy transition minerals, important for the production of electric batteries, will increase exponentially. And Brazil is one of the largest holders of these elements.
The most used minerals will be lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt and aluminum oxide. According to a World Bank study, global demand for lithium is expected to increase by almost 1,000%. The metal is light, has a high electrochemical potential and a good relationship between weight and energy capacity. The mineral detected in Brazilian soil, spodumene, is considered of good quality.
Lithium is found in the Jequitinhonha valley, in Minas Gerais; in the province of Borborema, located between the states of Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará and in the province of Solonópole, also in Ceará. The resources and reserves of these places add up to more than 1 million tons, placing Brazil as the seventh largest reserve in the world. in the country.
According to the World Bank, the global estimate for cobalt is a growth of more than 500% by 2050. Brazil has reserves of around 70 thousand tons. In 2019, it produced 30 tons of cobalt as a co-product of nickel production. However, there are already new nickel projects with associated cobalt in the environmental licensing phase for the production of the mineral. The forecast is for more investments in geological knowledge and mining research in these mineral assets with the Future Fuel Bill and an increase in hybrid and electric vehicles.
Combined with lithium and cobalt, graphite will also be present in most electric car batteries. Demand for the mineral is expected to grow by 383% until 2050. The Brazilian reserve covers 22% of the world total, with 74 thousand tons. Currently, production comprises 7% of the global total.
Nickel, the second most used material in battery production, also has good reserves on Brazilian soil. Sixteen percent of the mineral found in the world is found in Brazil, which already has a production of 83 thousand tons per year. Demand for the material is expected to increase by more than 100%.
With a large reserve of various minerals, including those essential for the energy transition, Brazil will advance raw material exports. The objective of the federal government is to also take advantage of the refining and processing chain of these elements, bringing more jobs and economic growth to the country in an environmentally sustainable way. |
