Rare earths: why are they so important?
PRESS RELEASE
Access to natural resources such as water, fossil fuels and fisheries has been a source of dispute and conflict between countries throughout history. Now, rare earths have burst onto the international scene as the star of some geopolitical and environmental controversies. This group of seventeen chemical elements, largely unknown to the public, are essential to power digitization, energy transition and modern economies. However, they are natural resources that can generate significant tensions and imbalances in global geostrategic balances.
Access to natural resources such as water, fossil fuels and fisheries has been a source of dispute and conflict between countries throughout history. Now, rare earths have burst onto the international scene as the star of some geopolitical and environmental controversies. This group of seventeen chemical elements, largely unknown to the public, are essential to power digitization, energy transition and modern economies. However, they are natural resources that can generate significant tensions and imbalances in global geostrategic balances.
The roundtable “Terres rares: d’elements rars a recurs estratègic. Per què són tan importants?” (Rare earths: from rare element to strategic resource. Why are they so important?) will explore several key themes such as: Analysing the real situation of rare earths at a national and European level, exploitation and processing options and their economic and environmental impact, as well as changes in regulations. This event will take place on Thursday, June 5, from 5.00 pm to 8.30 pm, in the Aula Magna Carmina Virgili of the Faculty of Earth Sciences (University of Barcelona). The session, promoted by the the Governing Council of the College of Geologists of Catalonia (COLGEOCAT) and the Faculty of Earth Sciences, will be streamed online. Those who wish to attend in person or online need to register in advance.
The roundtable will bring together experts from academia, institutions and the mining sector to reflect on the role of rare earths in the global geopolitical landscape and their media and social impact. The session will be chaired by Roberto Espínola, geologist and environmentalist specializing in underground hydrology and the dissemination of geological heritage and member of the Governing Council of COLGEOCAT.
Joaquín Proenza, professor at the UB’s Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Applied Geology and coordinator of the Consolidated Research Group on Mineral Resources for Energy Transition (MinResET), will speak about the importance of rare earths as a strategic resource for the European Union. Cristina Villanova, professor at the same department and also a member of MinResET, will also address research on rare earths at the university and detail the objectives of the European project “Sustainable mining of REE in Europe” (SuMREE).
Marc Campeny, geologist and head of the scientific area of the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona, will explore the rare earth potential of the Canary Islands and Catalonia, while geologist Ester Boixereu, head of the Economic Geology of Mineral Resources Research Group of the Spanish Geological and Mining Institute (IGME), will focus on the positioning of the central government in the future mining scenario.
The point of view of the mining companies sector — with the example of the Matamulas deposit — will be provided by Enrique Burkhalter, project manager of the company Quantum Minería. Finally, Pascual León Marco, dean and president of the Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros de Minas del Nordeste, will analyse the point of view of mining engineers in the new mining scenario. The session will be closed by Vinyet Solà de Roa, president of the COLGEOCAT.
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