The Minister of Industry, Energy and Mines of the Andalusian Government, Jorge Paradela, has highlighted that «mining activity is essential because it aligns with Europe’s priorities to increase strategic autonomy in raw materials and advance in the ecological and digital transition», and has argued that it meets very high legal requirements in terms of safety and environmental protection that do not exist in other regions. «Andalusia, the second largest European producer of copper, must take advantage of the potential of natural resources it possesses, with the presence of 22 out of the 34 critical minerals in its subsoil,» he added.
Jorge Paradela has stated that at the beginning of the term, the goal was set to increase the authorized mining production capacity by at least 20% in four years, and he announced that the recent authorization of Minera Los Frailes in Aznalcóllar has allowed this goal to be exceeded.
«The authorized capacity in the term will increase by at least 32%,» the minister advanced during his intervention at the meeting ‘Andalusia and the future of mining’, organized by Europa Press, in which the vice president of Aminer and Surface Operations Director at Sandfire Matsa, Antonio L. Gámiz; the CEO of Insersa, Javier de Aspe Gil; and the general director of Pan Global Resources in Spain, Juan García Valledor, also participated.
The minister referred to significant advances that have taken place during the term such as the authorization of the Los Frailes Mine in Aznalcóllar, the expansion of Riotinto, or the authorization of Masa Valverde, and also mentioned that there were about 460 expired mining rights whose lands the Junta has put out for research bids in the eight provinces to boost this activity.
Paradela emphasized that «the European Union, for the first time in decades, is paying attention to raw materials,» and therefore, «it is a time to believe in mining and have confidence in how companies operate.» In this regard, he stressed that «the authorization processes are extremely complex and often very slow, but they should lead us to have absolute confidence in the solvency of what is authorized.»
Photo of the participants in the meeting ‘Andalusia and the future of mining’, organized by Europa Press in Seville.
Furthermore, Paradela considered that «we are responsible for a geological heritage because Andalusia has 22 out of the 34 critical minerals in its subsoil, four of which are being exploited» and valued that «we are the first autonomous community to have a complete cartography of these minerals in collaboration with the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME).»
«We must defend a 21st-century mining industry that is very different from what most people have in mind.» Current mining, he said, «incorporates a very high level of technology and innovation, as well as a very serious environmental commitment and positive social impact on the territory.»
The Andalusian Minister of Industry, Energy and Mines emphasized that «from the Ministry, we are working intensively to boost the sector and take advantage of the opportunity, with the conviction that mining is experiencing an interesting moment and that our obligation as an administration is to make a responsible use and management of this geological heritage.»
In addition to authorizing projects, the minister pointed out that they aim to promote both competitiveness and energy efficiency in mining operations, for which the extractive sector will have 40 million euros in grants, with the regulatory bases already published and the application window expected to open in the last quarter of the year.
Jorge Paradela stressed that «Andalusia does not want to focus solely on extraction, but also aims for the transformation of minerals and supports projects related to recycling,» referring to strengthening the value chain and ensuring that the maximum industrial footprint of these projects remains in the autonomous community. In this context, he mentioned the CirCular projects of Atlantic Copper and the polymetallic plant of Cobre Las Cruces, which have received support from Complementary Incentives to Regional Economic Incentives, financed with the Junta’s own funds, he recalled.
Moment of Minister Paradela’s intervention at the mining event organized in Seville by Europa Press.
The minister also highlighted the actions taken by his Ministry to promote the presence of women in the mining sector, and in this regard, he mentioned the campaign launched to showcase their role in the industry and mining, as well as the numerous events held in the eight Andalusian provinces as part of the First Week of Women in Industry and Mining in Andalusia, where more than 80 professional women from various fields participated.
The latest available data shows that women represent only 9.3% of employment in mining, 20% in the industry, although it varies depending on the level of responsibility, as the number of women increases to around 40% in higher positions, he indicated. «It is important to promote these advantages to attract talent and develop it around this activity.»
«There is still a lot to be done. There is no simple solution, it involves awakening vocations and interest in technical careers from an early age. The Science Baccalaureate is the only one with a lower proportion of girls than boys,» he pointed out. «There must be a commitment from all of society, administrations, companies, social agents, and entities to change this situation.»
In this context, Jorge Paradela recalled that Andalusia’s industrial policy is based on 19 value chain plans, to which the Strategy for Sustainable Mining in Andalusia 2030 and the Aerospace Strategy are added, developed in collaboration with the most representative business associations and led by social dialogue with major employers and unions. «From the Ministry, we identify, sector by sector and by professional families, the competencies that need to be developed and the most demanded profiles so that the Department of Educational Development and Vocational Training can work on proposing new training cycles, updating existing training cycles, and expanding their reach in the territory,» he concluded.