The Minister of Industry, Energy, and Mines of the Andalusian Government, Jorge Paradela, has emphasized that «mining activity is essential because it aligns with Europe’s priorities to gain strategic autonomy in raw materials and progress in ecological and digital transition», and has argued that it meets very high legal standards in terms of safety and environmental protection that do not exist in other regions. «Andalusia, the second largest copper producer in Europe, must take advantage of the natural resources it has, with 22 of the 34 critical minerals present 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 that goal to be raised.
«The authorized capacity in the term will increase by at least 32%,» the minister announced during his participation in the event ‘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 Managing Director of Pan Global Resources in Spain, Juan García Valledor, also took part.
The minister has 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 has also mentioned that there were about 460 expired mining rights whose lands the Junta has put out for research tender in the eight provinces to boost this preliminary activity.
Paradela has emphasized that «for the first time in decades, the European Union is paying attention to raw materials,» and therefore, «it is a time to believe in mining and to have confidence in how companies carry out their activities.» 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 soundness of what is authorized.»
Photo of the participants in the event ‘Andalusia and the future of mining’, organized by Europa Press in Seville.
Furthermore, Paradela has stated that «we are responsible for a geological heritage because Andalusia has 22 of the 34 critical minerals in its subsoil, four of which are in exploitation,» and has highlighted that «we are the first autonomous community to have complete cartography of these minerals present in its subsoil 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 envision. 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 has emphasized that «from the Ministry, we are working intensively to revitalize the sector and seize the opportunity, convinced that mining is experiencing an interesting moment and that our obligation as an administration is to make responsible use and management of that geological heritage.»
In addition to authorizing projects, the minister has indicated that the aim is to promote both the competitiveness and energy efficiency of 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 has emphasized that «Andalusia does not want to focus solely on extraction, but also aims for mineral transformation and supports projects related to recycling,» referring to reinforcing the value chain and ensuring that the maximum industrial footprint of these projects remains in the autonomous community. In this regard, he mentioned the CirCular project of Atlantic Copper and the polymetallic plant of Cobre Las Cruces, which have received additional incentives to Regional Economic Incentives, funded with the Junta’s own resources, he recalled.
Moment of the intervention of Minister Paradela in the mining event organized in Seville by Europa Press.
The minister has 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 raise awareness of 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 according to the level of responsibility, as the number of women increases to around 40% in higher positions, he noted. «It is important to publicize these advantages to attract talent and develop it around this activity.»
«There is still much to be done. There is no simple solution; it has to do with sparking 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 regard, Jorge Paradela has recalled that Andalusia’s industrial policy is based on 19 value chain plans complemented by the Strategy for Sustainable Mining Andalusia 2030 and the Aerospace Strategy, developed in collaboration with the most representative business associations and driven by social dialogue with major employers and unions. «From the Ministry, we identify sector by sector and by professional families which competencies need to be developed and the most demanded profiles so that the Ministry of Educational Development and Vocational Training can work on proposing new training cycles, updating existing training cycles, and developing greater territorial coverage,» he concluded.