Future mines11 Oct 2021 12:28
Anglo -
In terms of current and future so-called “critical minerals”, he said that, because mines and their resources were finite, coupled with a lack of adequate exploration to find new resources, a significant problem was on the horizon.
“It used to take seven years from discovery to development, to bring a project on line in the mining industry. The average time taken today is 15 years. So we are not sleep walking into a problem, we are running head-long, screaming, ignoring the obvious,” asserted Cutifani.
In this regard, he said, the world was already short of copper, nickel and platinum group metals, the latter being a challenge particularly as the hydrogen and the broader green economies picked up momentum and more so post-2030.
“All of these products are going to require serious investment and a different relationship and conversation with all parts of society to make sure we get this right. People forget [that] we drive, as an industry, 45% of the world’s economy, yet we take up less than half a percent of the Earth’s liveable and arable land,” he noted.
https://www.miningweekly.com/article/anglo-progressing-with-decarbonisation-sustainability-endeavours-cutifani-2021-10-07
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