Brazil selects 15 mining projects as priorities for environmental licenses

The Brazilian government has so far selected 15 mining projects to receive support in obtaining environmental licenses. 

Of 21 projects evaluated, 15 were qualified under the so-called pro-minerals policy in the areas of iron ore, potassium, copper, manganese, gold, phosphate, uranium, aluminum, zirconate, graphite, niobium, rare earths, titanium and nickel sulfate.

"The qualified projects are distributed in four regions of Brazil, in the states of Minas Gerais, Amazonas, Pará, Rio Grande do Sul, Ceará and Amapá," the mines and energy ministry said in a release.

"According to the companies, investment potential is estimated at over 40bn reais [US$8.42bn]. More than 40,000 jobs are expected during construction and more than 15,000 during operations," it added. 

The government did not specify the stage of development of the projects, which can be seen at this link. 

Since last year the government has been selecting mining projects to help obtain licenses. The government created an inter-ministerial committee called CTAPME to analyze projects and select those considered highly important for the country's development. CTAPME coordinates government agencies with the aim of expanding production of strategic minerals in an environmentally sustainable way.

The committee comprises the mines and energy ministry, the science, technology and innovation ministry, the institutional security office of the presidency, the investment partnerships program (PPI) and the special secretariat of strategic affairs of the presidency.