Strategic Minerals for Climate Change and the Energy Transition: The Mining Contribution of Colombia

To transition to carbon neutrality by the year 2050, copper, lithium, rare earths, cobalt, nickel, and silver are essential due to their use in the manufacture of electric cars, lithium batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, motors, and electrical wiring. The main goal of this study is to carry out...

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Published inSustainability Vol. 16; no. 1; p. 83
Main Authors Bedoya Londoño, Jheyson Andres, Franco Sepúlveda, Giovanni, De la Barra Olivares, Erick
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.01.2024
Subjects
Alternative energy sources
Carbon sequestration
Coal
Cobalt
Colombia
Copper
Energy industry
Energy resources
Energy transition
France
Gases
Global temperature changes
Gold
Industrial development
Lithium
Military electronics industry
Minerals
Mines and mineral resources
Mining industry
Natural gas
Natural resources
Potassium
Presidents
Rare earth elements
Renewable resources
Silver
Silver mines
Strategic materials
Supply and demand
Sustainability
Systematic review
France
Colombia
United States > US
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Summary:To transition to carbon neutrality by the year 2050, copper, lithium, rare earths, cobalt, nickel, and silver are essential due to their use in the manufacture of electric cars, lithium batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, motors, and electrical wiring. The main goal of this study is to carry out a mining approach of the prospective areas of Colombia with strategic minerals for energy transition and climate change, analyzing the geospatial location, mining rights, mineral extraction, and royalty collection. Open data from SGC, ANM, and SIMCO geoportals were consulted. The prospective areas totaled 311,535.2 km2, equivalent to 27.3% of Colombia, and were located mainly in the Andes Mountains. The total area of mining rights and applications with strategic minerals for the energy transition is 112,802.2 km2 or 9.9% of Colombia, representing 5731 rights and 3939 applications. From 2012 to 2023, 448,330 tons of nickel, 172.9 tons of silver, and 171.6 tons of copper were mined in Colombia, which has contributed USD 513,140,286 as royalties to the state. No royalties have been earned from the extraction of rare earths, lithium, or cobalt. Fulfilling the Paris Agreement is possible with new sustainable mining projects of strategic minerals.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su16010083