Brazil reviews caves decree in potential boon for mining and energy
Brazil is revisiting rules that protect caverns from exploration and development with measures that could help advance energy projects and boost Vale’s iron-ore prospects in the country.
“It’s a sensitive legislation for the infrastructure sector including transport and power — not just mining,” said Ana Paula Bittencourt, a director within Brazil’s mining and energy ministry. “So revisiting the caves decree is a government mission.”
Brazil’s Environment Ministry is leading the technical discussions, Bittencourt said last week in an interview on the sidelines of a mining conference. Talks also involve Brazil’s Chief of Staff, who’s in charge of the country’s growth acceleration program, and Mines and Energy ministry. While there is a sense of urgency in revisiting the rules, she said, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government is seeking to strike the balance between industry and protecting the environment.
Vale sees a potential to unlock 1.6-billion tons of iron ore reserves — including those in the Amazon rainforest — if the government tweaks rules around mining in caves, according to a September presentation. The strict regulations that protect cavernous zones limit Vale’s potential to expand in its richest deposits in Brazil. Reclassifying some caves could give the iron ore miner access to more reserves, according to the Rio de Janeiro-based company.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
AxFlow AQS Liquid Transfer (Pty) Ltd is an Importer and Distributor of Pumps in Southern Africa
VISIT SHOWROOM
FlameBlock is a proudly South African company that engineers, manufactures and supplies fire intumescent and retardant products to the fire...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
