Brazil Offers Financing for Strategic Minerals Development

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Written by Amir Richani for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Brazil's Development Bank (BNDES) and the Financing Agency for Studies and Projects (FINEP) have announced $5 billion reais (US$825 million) in financing for projects focused on the transformation and development of strategic minerals for energy transition and decarbonization.

Among the minerals are copper, lithium, rare earths, nickel, graphite, silicon and others.

The projects that can apply for financing involve the transformation of minerals such as mineral refining and treatment.

The funds could also support research and innovation efforts, as well as the development or production of lithium batteries, photovoltaic cells, wind turbines and other products used in renewable energy. The projects could be industrial-scale plants, pilot developments or studies.

Companies interested in applying for funds have until April 30 to submit their business plans and the winners will be announced by June 12.

Brazil is already a key raw mineral supplier of niobium, silicon, lithium and other minerals, and it also holds significant resources of graphite, rare earths and nickel. Through this program, Brazil seeks to become more than a raw material producer, through the development of the nation's renewable energy supply chain.

"Brazil, with its science and its vast reserves of strategic minerals, is uniquely positioned to lead the global energy transition. We do not want to be just a supplier of natural resources, but a protagonist in the creation of a more sustainable future, in which technologies result in a greener and low-carbon economy, and contribute to a better quality of life for people, now and for future generations," said FINEP President Celso Pansera.

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