Filenews 27 September 2020
Today, more than 90% of the mainly critical minerals and metals for european Union industries and societies ('EU') come from imports, much of which come from China and other developed countries, but also several developing countries.
With the gradual, and as predicted complete exclusion, use of coal (e.g. lignite) and hydrocarbons (e.g. oil), the weight of electricity generation falls overall on renewable sources (e.g. sun, wind, geothermal energy). With the demand and consumption of electricity constantly increasing, huge construction interventions for the installation of wind turbines and photovoltaic units will undoubtedly be needed. At the same time, electrification of cars, other vehicles and most industrial cycles already requires the construction of lithium batteries and upward trends for more electrical potential, with a horizon of 20-30 years. The technologies required for the production of mild energy sources, as well as the manufacture of electric cars, are, for the most part, new and innovative, and are necessarily and fully supported by specific mineral raw materials ('PYS'). This creates the value chains of the PFOs.
They thus come to the looking and mining scene minerals and metals that are characterized as critical, such as lithium, cobalt, graphite, vanadio, rare earths, but also the most well-known, such as nickel, copper, manganese, lead, silver and others. For the magnets of a wind turbine, for example, large quantities of rare land of neodymium and inaccessible are needed. A normal car needs 20 kg of copper, 4 kg of nickel, 10 kg of zinc, zero kg of cobalt and 10 kg of lead. The corresponding quantities for an electric car are 70 kg of copper, 46 kg of nickel, 17 kg of zinc, 14 kg of cobalt and 12 kg of lead. It is therefore clear that in order to achieve and achieve achievable and achievable the objectives of "carbonization" and "electromobilization" of social and economic life, it is necessary to increase multiple extraction and production of the necessary mineral raw materials (PSOs). Forecasts show that future needs for PDOs necessary for a complete transition to so-called "green" energy (such as copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt, natural graphite, rare earths, vanadio, gallium and indium) exceed current production in the EU by hundreds of per cent.
Those who seek to stop climate change on the basis of reducing carbon dioxide emissions must therefore accept the increase in the operation of more mines on European soil. In other words, to make the most of Europe's oil resources, whose manufacturing industry is on a tightrope, since it is now highly dependent on imports of most PFOs. Furthermore, the EU's intention to implement the new industrial strategy, in terms of value chains and related ecosystems, further intensifies this situation and therefore there is an urgent need to address this important issue, namely where and how the EU should source its raw materials. In the long term, technological progress and new applications in research will help identify areas with potentially exploitable stocks from domestic (European) primary deposits, but also secondary sources through the application of circular economy practices and integrated waste management, so that non-recycled materials are the least possible.
The new EU Strategic and Policy Options/Challenges Map
It is now clear, and it is apparent from a multitude of analyses, on the successive systemic and technological changes that mark the new economic era we are in, that the PDOs and their applications are directly linked to the directions that are being developed, and are thus at the heart of the productive interest, so that current and launched European, but also global policies and strategies become a reality and additional development value.
The relevant road map is therefore largely engraved and dictated:
The raw materials policy is still in force with an emphasis now on industrial value chains based, not only on critical ones, but also on many other PFOs.
The European Green Agreement, which is now a comprehensive set of political initiatives by the Commission, with the primary objective of making Europe climate neutral, such as energy transition, the circular economy and the efficient use of PDOs.
The new industrial strategy for Europe, with reference to specific industrial ecosystems and the presence of an implementation plan for a competitive transformation of the EU's energy-intensive industries in relation to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and increasing circular economy practices by 2050. Strengthening strategic value chains for a stronger EU industry – Creating a staff forum to implement important projects of common European interest.
The Paris Agreement and other climate initiatives, which create political, legal and economic conditions for energy supply from renewable sources, make up more than 50% of all global consumption by 2040.
The funding framework that takes into account and follows the conditions for sustainable development.
The principles and values that ensure sustainable raw materials for the EU.
The EU Recovery Programme in the post-COVID-19 era.
The UN's sustainable development goals.
Innovative energy technologies at the forefront
In modern society PDOs are now a prerequisite for the implementation of value chains (e.g. lithium battery and electric car industries, wind turbine construction), which are considered strategies for the EU, especially in terms of reducing CO2 with the ultimate aim of tackling climate change. This gradually leads to a different understanding of minerals and the need to reshape the STRATEGY for PDOs, as well as to undertake cross-border integrated actions, so that humanity is able to provide the necessary solutions. It is also a great opportunity to create a positive view of public opinion on the need to productively exploit European deposits that can and are ready to support technological applications that are part of the new energy reality.
While the EU is aware of the growing demand for PFDs stemming mainly from the emerging digital revolution, innovation in electrification and artificial intelligence technology, as well as the transition to low-carbon energy sources, as well as the minimisation of waste on the basis of the circular economy, it has so far not fully assumed its responsibilities. New technologies require but also allow the remodeling or creation of new industrial value chains based on the exploitation and use of PDOs, and includes all the way through their geological survey, mining, mining, processing and production of raw materials, to end-use products (e.g. a wind turbine magnet or our mobile phones). Pict. 3-4). The requirements of the economy and society to ensure the growing needs for WFDs, which can cover the quantities requested, will continue to remain particularly high, especially in the case of critical mineral raw materials, which are about 60% related to and linked to high-tech business activities.
Europe stable in green growth
The mining and processing sectors are vital to ensuring the supply of minerals and metals that will be produced in a sustainable way to meet the needs of high-tech value chains. 19 times more money than it put on the market in 2018. In other words, 3.5 times more money than China invested! This demonstrates that Europe stands firmly in its decision on green development, but for the implementation and implementation of which it must in the same dynamic, decisive and effective way ensure the PDOs needed by modern cutting-edge industries, making productive use of its own European research sources. As an example, we give fig. 5 the untapped stocks, deposits and occurrences of rare earths in Europe to date. Moreover, in July this year the independent Ember Think Tank published its six-month update on the Europe of 27, which showed that, in the first half of this year, renewable energy production (RES) exceeded that of fossil fuels for the first time. Wind and solar power alone reached 21% of Europe's total electricity generation. There was even more penetration in Denmark (64%), Ireland (49%) and Denmark (49%). and in Germany (42%).
Responsible extractive undertakings, subsequent producers of value chains and other relevant actors and interested parties have a common interest in ensuring that:
1. The negative social, economic and environmental impacts of mining shall be minimised or zeroed where possible.
2. Its benefits shall be maximised and distributed fairly, and
3. Good and sustainable practices shall be ensured, supported simultaneously by industrial users of PDOs, research and innovation providers, as well as technology developers and designers, investors and consumers.
Joint efforts in the large, complex and often opaque supply and trafficking chains of PDOs are a major challenge that all the 'players' mentioned above can respond to if they are properly coordinated with each other in terms of objectives and incentives for sustainable development.
The integrated approach to value chains should include all types of land use in order to facilitate access to PFDs. Nature protection areas cover almost 18% of EU territory, but still, under certain circumstances, provide the opportunity for research and extraction of WFDs within them. However, in many Member States there are still serious problems of PYD extraction when they have to take place in NATURA 2000 controlled areas, which discourages private investment in research and exploitation. It is therefore important to bear in mind that any mining work will have an impact on the environment. Therefore, a sustainable approach requires an examination of the entire value chain, from mining to the end of the life cycle of mining activities, including the restoration of the holding site.
From a European or global perspective, the different laws of the EU Member States on mining, authorisations, land use planning, health and safety procedures, as well as environmental protection rules, are potential obstacles to mining activities. As a result, this may make efforts for integrated PYD value chains vulnerable. Therefore, updating the policy and regulatory frameworks and effectively planning land use for the use of PDOs, at one stage before the start of the survey, will require the use of economic geology maps and evaluation methods, deposit safeguard mechanisms and an integrated policy on PDOs and land uses.
More specifically, on one of the many issues of concern to the mining industry and its ability to make a decisive contribution to green development, it can be considered that the decision of the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy, published in the Government Gazette (Government Gazette B 3291/6 August 2020) and providing for the simplification of environmental licensing for Renewable Energy Sources (RES), is an action in the right direction. However, what the mining industry needs above all is to simplify the authorisation for the research and exploitation of PDOs, which are necessary for the exploitation of RES in practice.
New opportunities and increased responsibilities
Transparency and open procedures for reliable and responsible mining and sustainable supply of strategic value chains with PDOs, particularly with regard to 'conflict-fuelling minerals', are key priority issues. The growing need for critical minerals and metals, to be used in low-carbon energy technologies, provides new opportunities to highlight these issues, but also increases the EU's responsibilities.
It is necessary, inter alia, to raise public awareness of the importance of mining, its impact and how it can be achieved by high environmental and social standards and standards. Public awareness should include all "players" involved in the value chain of each WHO, as well as secondary looking sources from the circular economy.
At the same time, a strong commitment to research and development must be made, taking into account the concerns raised regarding the development of new technologies, which on the one take a major step towards sustainability, such as the automation of mines, on the basis of technical intelligence applications, to achieve zero use of clean water and zero waste generation, as well as to ensure the health and safety of mine workers and residents of local communities. , but on the other hand they will probably significantly reduce employment opportunities or create conditions and conditions for retraining employment staff.
Cooperation between mining companies and policy makers and law makers must, of course, be ensured in order to achieve a sustainable approach to the entire PDF value chain up to and including the end of the life cycle of mining activities, including rehabilitation. Examples of exemplary sustainable rehabilitation are many and are described, among others, in Georgina Pearman's book "The 101 Things You Can Do With a Hole in the Earth" or in the publications "The Damari of Paradise", Sala Silvergruva, etc.
By raising awareness of biodiversity and improving natural resource management practices, we believe that there will be minimisation of biodiversity losses and habitat degradation, as well as disruption of the earth's environment by mining. This can increase the sensitivity of the world to other ecosystems as well.
As proclaimed in 2016, in the Cape Town Declaration, the International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG) at the heart of the necessary business, operational, operational responsibility that mining companies must demonstrate should be sustainability, environmental management and social well-being. This is an important move by IAPG that encourages dialogue and promotes best practices among the wider community of geoscientists in cooperation with professional bodies.
As far as the EU is concerned, the overriding objective remains to improve the framework of the treaties under which sustainable and responsible mining in Europe will be carried out and ensured. These include the guarantee of social leave, the legal framework, transparency in information, information and decision-making, so as to make use of europe's well-known and other dynamic PDOs, and thus reduce dependence on imports. At the moment, for example, EU industry is totally dependent on imports of rare earths from China. As mentioned above, rare earths are crucial for hundreds of high-tech applications and crucial for the development of green technologies (such as wind turbines, hybrid vehicles, etc.), and are therefore essential for the competitiveness of European industry.
All other global industrial giants are working in the same direction:
Japan, which does not have mineral and energy raw materials, has immediately taken full control of strategic metals and fossil fuel deposits, setting the level of stocks, as well as the supply programme, so that the adequacy of strategic materials does not depend solely on the stocks available.
Since 2017, the US has identified the 35 PFOs considered of strategic importance to the country, and recently pushed forward a bill to streamline their licensing, as well as a second draft law providing tax incentives to companies that will exploit PSF strategies and develop their processing facilities within the US. Democrats, in fact, are proposing that subsidies for green energy amount to about $1.5 trillion.
It was only on August 12th that a senior Russian government official told Reuters that his country plans to invest $1.5 billion in rare earth minerals, as by 2030 it wants to become their largest producer after China.
Finally, a fundamental objective for the mining industry must be to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all workers, as well as to contribute to the health and safety of the surrounding communities.
*Ph.D. in Economics
