Minister of Mines and Energy states that renewable energy, batteries and electrification require strategic minerals
The minister of, (PSD-MG), said this Thursday (25.FEV.2025) that the energy transition depends on mining, since renewable energy technologies, batteries and electrification require strategic strategies such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and rare lands.
“It is a great hypocrisy to talk about energy transition and demonize mining, because there is no transition without critical minerals.”he said during the panel “Energy Safety Strategies in Brazil”, at the event, organized by, in São Paulo.
Silveira also talked about the importance of exploiting the equatorial margin to reduce the costs of energy transition. He took the speech to criticize the European environmental discourse.
“We cannot, despite a speech that part of Europe does, pay even more expensive than we have already paid for the energy transition in Brazil”he said.
“Therefore, I defend the equatorial margin so much. There is no talk of failing to produce fossil fuels, especially oil if the issue of oil is not a matter of supply but demand. As long as the world demands, we are not we can fail to offer ”he declared.
Equatorial margin
The Government pressures the (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) to release exploration studies on the equatorial margin.
On February 12, the President (PT) is necessary to authorize Petrobras research by oil in the region. According to him, there is a desire to explore commodity, and Ibama cannot be an organ against the government.
“We need to authorize that Petrobras do research, that’s what we want. If we will explore later, it is another discussion. What is not possible to be in this lenga-lenga, Ibama is a government organ seeming to be an organ against the government ”said at the time.
Lula was not the only one to publicly criticize the environmental agency.
On Tuesday (18.FEV), Silveira that the position of Ibama about the requests of the state oil company to study the region is “Absurd”.
“It is absurd to sit on the table with Ibama and he does not point out what is missing, because Petrobras delivered everything that was asked. If there is a decision not to do, they have to explain […] a negative is formed, pointing to the reason for the decision ”said Silveira, in conversation with journalists.
