Portugal already has the most important copper mine within the European Union, operated by Toronto-based Lundin Mining. It additionally produces lithium for the ceramics trade and has massive deposits of battery-grade lithium which are in improvement.
“We have now nice potential to probe for copper, we have already got an important custom and we are going to proceed to speculate,” she instructed reporters on the sidelines of a convention.
“When essential uncooked supplies, we’ve to contemplate lithium, however it’s not the one one, nor maybe crucial”.
She mentioned the strategic plan needs to be introduced on July 22.
“Primarily based on this technique, we are going to outline the areas of manufacturing for the assorted essential uncooked supplies,” she mentioned, including that “there could also be new concessions”.
Europe is aiming to make sure larger safety and scale back dependence on imports from nations reminiscent of China for supplies important to the inexperienced transition.
Portugal’s earlier authorities deliberate to public sale licenses for lithium prospecting in six areas within the north and centre of the nation.
Nevertheless issues concerning the environmental and social influence of lithium mining from nature preservation teams and native communities have led to a number of delays to the public sale, initially deliberate for 2018.
Requested if the brand new authorities intends to proceed with the lithium public sale, Carvalho cited the necessity to see the ultimate strategic plan and base any determination on scientific and technical information.
(By Sergio Goncalves; Enhancing by Andrei Khalip and Jan Harvey)