Factors and competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining, new methodology: case study from Brazil
Rare earths are increasingly being applied in high-tech industries, such as green energy (e.g. wind power), hybrid cars, electric cars, permanent high-performance magnets, superconductors, luminophores and many other industrial sectors involved in modern technologies. Given that China dominates this...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844017335089 |
| _version_ | 1819088028678750208 |
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| author | Gustavo A. Silva Carlos O. Petter Nelson R. Albuquerque |
| author_facet | Gustavo A. Silva Carlos O. Petter Nelson R. Albuquerque |
| author_sort | Gustavo A. Silva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rare earths are increasingly being applied in high-tech industries, such as green energy (e.g. wind power), hybrid cars, electric cars, permanent high-performance magnets, superconductors, luminophores and many other industrial sectors involved in modern technologies. Given that China dominates this market and imposes restrictions on production and exports whenever opportunities arise, it is becoming more and more challenging to develop business ventures in this sector. Several initiatives were taken to prospect new resources and develop the production chain, including the mining of these mineral assets around the world, but some factors of uncertainties, including current low prices, increased the challenge of transforming the current resources into deposits or productive mines. Thus, analyzing the competitiveness of advanced projects becomes indispensable. This work has the objective of introducing a new methodology of competitiveness analysis, where some variables are considered as main factors that can contribute strongly to make unfeasible a mining enterprise for the use of rare earth elements (REE) with this methodology, which is quite practical and reproducible, it was possible to verify some real facts, such as: the fact that the Lynas Mount Weld CLD (AUS) Project is resilient to the uncertainties of the RE sector, at the same time as the Molycorp Project is facing major financial difficulties (under judicial reorganization). It was also possible to verify that the Araxá Project of CBMM in Brazil is one of the most competitive in this country. Thus, we contribute to the existing literature, providing a new methodology for competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:45:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0426443d181e4a778e87dc186965529f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:45:32Z |
| publishDate | 2018-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-0426443d181e4a778e87dc186965529f2022-12-21T18:49:15ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402018-03-0143e00570Factors and competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining, new methodology: case study from BrazilGustavo A. Silva0Carlos O. Petter1Nelson R. Albuquerque2Division of Mineral Economy, Geological Survey of Brazil, CPRM, Brazil; Corresponding author.Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, BrazilIndependent Consultant, ROV-Brasil, RJ, BrazilRare earths are increasingly being applied in high-tech industries, such as green energy (e.g. wind power), hybrid cars, electric cars, permanent high-performance magnets, superconductors, luminophores and many other industrial sectors involved in modern technologies. Given that China dominates this market and imposes restrictions on production and exports whenever opportunities arise, it is becoming more and more challenging to develop business ventures in this sector. Several initiatives were taken to prospect new resources and develop the production chain, including the mining of these mineral assets around the world, but some factors of uncertainties, including current low prices, increased the challenge of transforming the current resources into deposits or productive mines. Thus, analyzing the competitiveness of advanced projects becomes indispensable. This work has the objective of introducing a new methodology of competitiveness analysis, where some variables are considered as main factors that can contribute strongly to make unfeasible a mining enterprise for the use of rare earth elements (REE) with this methodology, which is quite practical and reproducible, it was possible to verify some real facts, such as: the fact that the Lynas Mount Weld CLD (AUS) Project is resilient to the uncertainties of the RE sector, at the same time as the Molycorp Project is facing major financial difficulties (under judicial reorganization). It was also possible to verify that the Araxá Project of CBMM in Brazil is one of the most competitive in this country. Thus, we contribute to the existing literature, providing a new methodology for competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844017335089Earth sciencesBusinessEconomicsIndustry |
| spellingShingle | Gustavo A. Silva Carlos O. Petter Nelson R. Albuquerque Factors and competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining, new methodology: case study from Brazil Heliyon Earth sciences Business Economics Industry |
| title | Factors and competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining, new methodology: case study from Brazil |
| title_full | Factors and competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining, new methodology: case study from Brazil |
| title_fullStr | Factors and competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining, new methodology: case study from Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors and competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining, new methodology: case study from Brazil |
| title_short | Factors and competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining, new methodology: case study from Brazil |
| title_sort | factors and competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining new methodology case study from brazil |
| topic | Earth sciences Business Economics Industry |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844017335089 |
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