¿En búsqueda de minerales críticos?

The document explains that many metals critical for the energy transition and digital transformation are not extracted exclusively but as co-products or by-products of 'host' metals. This complementarity creates inelastic supply chains, high price volatility, and risks of material loss in tailings. It suggests that understanding these associations can help governments and companies identify new sources of minerals, such as reprocessing tailings, and improve national industrial strategies.

• A significant portion of metals identified as critical for digital technologies and the energy transition are not produced independently; over 60% are extracted as co-products or by-products of other host metals.
• The supply of complementary metals is often inelastic because it depends on the economic viability and demand for the host metal rather than the demand for the complementary metal itself. For example, tellurium is a by-product of copper refining, meaning copper market trends directly influence tellurium availability.
• By-products exhibit significantly higher price volatility than primary metals, with an average annual volatility 50% higher over the last 50 years. Rhodium is cited as an example, with prices fluctuating from USD 3,500/oz in March 2020 to USD 27,000/oz in April 2021.
• Mining tailings and waste dumps are potential sources of critical minerals because complementary metals were often discarded during the initial recovery of the host element. For instance, Rio Tinto's boron mine in California is reprocessing tailings to extract battery-grade lithium.
• There is a lack of reliable data on reserves and resources for complementary metals because they are often under-reported or presented as equivalents of the primary metal in feasibility studies.
• The export of mineral concentrates without systematic testing for complementary elements creates a risk of illicit material flows and lost revenue for producing governments.
• Environmental risks are associated with the disposal of complementary metals in tailings, as some elements like lead or mercury are neurotoxic and can leach into the environment via rainwater.

APA

Bellois, G., & Ramdoo, I. (2023). ¿En búsqueda de minerales críticos? International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/searching-critical-minerals-how-metals-are-produced-together-es.pdf

Chicago

Bellois, Grégoire, and Isabelle Ramdoo. ¿En búsqueda de minerales críticos? International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/searching-critical-minerals-how-metals-are-produced-together-es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bellois |first1=Grégoire |last2=Ramdoo |first2=Isabelle |title=¿En búsqueda de minerales críticos? |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/searching-critical-minerals-how-metals-are-produced-together-es.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bellois2023bsqueda, author = {Bellois, Grégoire and Ramdoo, Isabelle}, title = {{¿En búsqueda de minerales críticos?}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/searching-critical-minerals-how-metals-are-produced-together-es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }