They are not so scarce as to be rare or, in reality, they are lands. However, they have become the oil of the 21st century, one of the natural resources with the greatest geopolitical weight, as seen in the negotiations on Ukraine. When they were discovered, they were called rare because they had never seen themselves before and lands because that was the geological term of the 18th century for oxides. In many cases, they are found in quantities similar to those of copper or tin in the earth’s crust, but never appear in very high concentrations, they are usually mixed with each other, or with radioactive elements such as uranium, and are difficult to separate. «When they were discovered, they had few industrial applications; They were a chemical curiosity. They are good semiconductors and have many properties such as neodymium, with which very small but very powerful magnets can be manufactured. This makes them interesting when the electronic industry began to develop; From then on, their applications grow, ”says Ester Boixereu, researcher at the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME).
This set of 17 chemical elements is part of the so -called strategic raw materials, indispensable in telephony, renewable energies or medicine. «Vibratory technology in mobiles requires tungsten; Electric cars need lithium, nickel and cobalt; Wind turbines are manufactured with boron; Airplanes require magnesium and scandio; The semiconductors are manufactured with silicon metal; And glass and fertilizers for plants require borates, ”says the Royal Institute Elcano in a publication. They are so essential that the needs are expected to increase significantly in the coming years: Aluminum will multiply by 6.4; the copper, for 10.2; those of silicon, for 1.3; those of nickel, by 16, and those of manganese, for 4.4. That only in Europe. «When talking about advanced technology, people think of a phone or a car, but above all we are talking about satellite defense technology, aerospace industry and security. This explains that it has become a key negotiation weapon. Trump is joining the economic interest, as a businessman who is, with the defense and security; They are working as a whole. That is why he has seen an opportunity in Ukraine to obtain what interests him and is obsessed with Greenland or the Arctic, ”says Helena Ruiz Mateos, Professor of International Relations at the Pontifical University Comillas.
Ukraine has 5% of the world’s mineral resources. According to a publication by Hanna Liventseva, a member of the Association of Geologists of Ukraine, the country has uranium, aluminum, copper, nickel, beryllium, lithium, tantalus, gold, manganese and platinum deposits, in addition to rare earths. «Before the war, there were 8,761 commercial value deposits for 95 types of minerals. Of these, 3,055 deposits were in production. In 2018, it was the third world producer of Gallium and Rutilo, the fifth of titanium and bromo, the seventh of iron ore and, in addition, It is one of the few countries where titanium minerals are extracted. There are 15 deposits in the regions of kyiv, Dnipro, Járkov and Donetsk. In addition, it has one of the largest manganese reserves, concentrated in the south, in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporiyia. which exports to Spain, for example, for the ceramic industry.
China and monopoly
It seems sure that the US will take control of what is extracted in Ukraine, although it is about to be in exchange for what, how and when. Its objective is to reduce the dependence of the World Monopoly of China, which dominates the production, processing and refinement of these minerals. While in the 80s USA moved its factories to reduce costs and closed its mines, China opted for extraction and, above all, for the separation of these materials. «In 2022, he concentrated the world refinement of 95% of manganese, 73% of cobalt, 70% of graphite, 67% of lithium and 63% of nickel. In addition, it manufactures most of the elements of a battery, ”according to the Royal Institute Elcano. That is, independence from China means not only extract but also refine. «The Asian country is very aware of the need to control these minerals. In its strategy of the new Silk route, it has identified strategic areas in Africa and Latin America and is acquiring gigantic estates, both to supply food to its 1.3 billion inhabitants and to control mining. In addition, it is taking control of strategic ports, since 80% of world trade is maritime and is vital for its exports, ”says Ruiz Mateos. In fact, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chinese companies are owning or have participations in virtually all mining companies in the country, as Elcano recalls.
Europe wants to be autonomous
Not only USA, but also the rest of world economies are reacting to the Chinese monopoly, although “it is still in an incipient phase; Many try to attract foreign investment to exploit their own resources, ”Matizes Ruiz Mateos. The first attention call took place in 2010, when China stopped sending rare earth to Japan after the arrest of a Chinese fisherman by the Japanese coast guard. The price of metals shot in a short time. At that time it was clear that these resources could be used as a geopolitical weapon.
Since 2011, Europe updates its list of fundamental raw materials. If it then contained 14 minerals, today that list includes 34, of which 17 are strategic, including rare earths for magnets, titanium metal, wolframium, manganese, cobalt, copper, platinum, bismuth and aluminum. In 2021, Europe produced 5.2% of minerals globally, in contrast to Asia, with 60.4%.
To reduce its dependence, the European Commission has established objectives by 2030: increase the extraction of these materials up to 10% of European consumption, reach 40% in transformation capacity and cover at least 25% of annual consumption by recycling. He has also begun to sign agreements with Canada, Chile, Congo and Zambia, but “now it must reconsider its relationship with the US and its resource supply policy and, as we are seeing security. It is a crucial moment for the EU, but also an opportunity to strengthen its position and, perhaps, jointly exploit resources in Greenland ”» adds Ruiz Mateos.
Each country is also seeing what possibilities of exploitation has. In Spain, That has a long mining tradition, possible rare earth deposits in Ciudad Real, Pontevedra, Almería and the Canary Islands have been identified. Is Already the only producer of Sepiolita and Celestina (strontium) of the EU, the first of the spatter-flúor and plaster, the second producer of magnesite and potassium salts, and extracts copper and bentonite. According to Patricia Córdoba, a researcher at the Institute of Environmental Diagnosis and CSIC Water Studies, «the first thing is to make explorations to know the available resources. Projects are being financed, but economic and environmental viability must still be studied. That is, we are in a very initial phase ». His group works on a mineral recycling project and from his experience he believes it is difficult to achieve the objectives of the EU: “The problem is in demand and the unsustainable consumption model we have.”