Petrobras signed this Monday (22) a protocol of intentions for a research, development and innovation initiative linked to critical and strategic minerals.
The agreement was signed by the state-owned company with BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development) and provides for the exchange of information and analysis of the main gaps in productive or technological capacity, as well as projects and initiatives in execution and/or in the development phase.
The signing took place during the Bank’s 74th anniversary celebration, during an event with the participation of President Lula, the president of BNDES, Aloizio Mercadante and the president of Petrobras, Magda Chambriard.
New initiatives that contribute to the development of energy transition and oil and gas chains are also within the agreement.
According to Mercadante, the agreement was signed together with Cenpes, a unit of the Petrobras Research Center responsible for the company’s research and development and basic engineering, and there is the intention of extending the partnership with Vale, focusing on the study of critical minerals.
“We also want to extend this after a partnership with Vale, to study critical minerals,” he said.
According to him, the initiative aims to generate value in Brazil from these chains.
Brazil has the world’s third largest production of alumina (a type of critical mineral), in addition to the fourth largest reserves of tin, the second largest reserves of natural graphite, being among the five largest lithium producers on the planet, and holding the fourth largest reserves of manganese and the third largest reserves of nickel.
With information from Estadão Conteúdo*
