Race for critical minerals gains momentum as Brazil eyes investment opportunities

According to the 2025 edition of the Mineral Commodity Summaries, a report by the US Geological Survey (USGS), Brazil advanced one position in the global rankings for rare earths and lithium in 2024, now occupying second and sixth place, respectively.

Marcelo Carvalho, executive director of the Australian mining company Meteoric, notes that of the 17 rare earth elements, four are essential for the production of magnets used in electric vehicle motors and wind turbines, making them critical to the energy transition.

“An electric car motor carries 1 to 2 kilograms of these rare earth magnets, while a wind turbine can carry up to two tonnes of this material,” he says.

Meteoric does not yet produce in Brazil but has a promising rare earth project in the Poços de Caldas region (MG).

“We have 1.1 billion tonnes of ore, which extends the project’s useful life to over 100 years,” Mr. Carvalho adds.

Lithium, indispensable for the manufacture of electric car batteries, requires 8.9 kilograms of the mineral per vehicle, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Brazilian company Sigma Lithium, located in the Jequitinhonha Valley (MG), accounts for almost all of the country’s lithium production. The fifth-largest producer in the world, Sigma Lithium produces 270,000 tonnes of green lithium per year and is building a second unit, which is expected to double its production capacity.

According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), more than 50 projects are underway across Brazil and are expected to reveal new reserves of strategic minerals in the coming years.

“At a time when decarbonization is urgent, mining is considered the driving force behind this movement, which is essential for the preservation of the planet, with the supply of strategic inputs,” says Silvia França, director of the Mineral Technology Center (Cetem).

In addition to advances in rare earths and lithium, Brazil leads the world in reserves and production of niobium, a mineral used across segments, including electrification, mobility, and steelmaking. The country holds 94.1% of the world’s known niobium deposits. It also ranks among the global leaders in graphite, nickel, and manganese—essential materials for batteries and energy storage.

CBMM, based in Araxá (MG), is the world’s largest producer of niobium, with a production capacity of 150,000 tonnes per year, exceeding current global market demand. The company invests R$250 million annually in its technology program. In 2024, in partnership with Toshiba Corporation and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus, CBMM unveiled the first electric bus powered by a lithium-niobium battery.

“This milestone not only demonstrated the technological feasibility of the project but also positioned Brazil at the forefront of innovation, showing that the country can contribute to more sustainable energy solutions,” says CBMM CEO Ricardo Lima.

In steelmaking, niobium enhances the properties of steel, helping to reduce CO₂ emissions throughout the production process.

Vale also contributes to lowering CO₂ emissions in steel mills by supplying the industry with high-quality iron ore. In addition to being one of the world’s largest iron ore producers, Vale ranks as the sixth-largest nickel producer and the 11th-largest holder of copper reserves, both critical for the energy transition.

In 2024, Vale produced 160,000 tonnes of nickel and plans to increase annual production to between 210,000 and 250,000 tonnes by 2030. In copper, the company produced 348,000 tonnes in 2024 and is investing to boost output to 700,000 tonnes by 2035.

Part of Vale’s nickel and copper production is based in the Carajás region (PA), where its iron ore operations are also concentrated. The company plans to invest R$70 billion between 2025 and 2030 in the Novo Carajás program, which encompasses iron ore and copper projects.

“Novo Carajás has the potential to position Brazil as a global leader in the supply of critical minerals and reinforce its leading role in combating climate change,” said Vale CEO Gustavo Pimenta.

According to the Energy Research Company (EPE), demand for critical minerals is expected to grow significantly by 2034, driven by the expansion of the electricity grid and the increasing electrification of vehicles. In EPE’s projections, demand for rare earths alone is expected to grow sixfold over the period.

Aware of the rising demand, Serra Verde Pesquisa e Mineração (SVPM), based in Minaçu (GO), is evaluating the possibility of doubling production before 2030 without shortening the useful life of its mine. The company began operations in January 2024 as the only producer outside Asia of the four critical rare earth elements: neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium.

“This makes Serra Verde a strategic asset for Brazil and the global market,” says SVPM president and Serra Verde Group chief operating officer Ricardo Grossi.

The company expects to produce at least 5,000 tonnes of rare earth oxide annually over the next 25 years.

Despite the promising projects, Raul Jungmann, president of Ibram—which brings together mining companies—points out that for Brazil to move beyond its role as a commodity exporter, it must overcome regulatory hurdles.

The National Mining Agency (ANM) acknowledges that the long gap between the initiation of research and the start of production remains a major bottleneck in meeting the growing demand for critical minerals, with projects taking an average of nearly 20 years to complete the entire cycle and commence production.

In 2024, the ANM authorized 4,630 mineral research projects and granted ten exploration rights, all related to critical minerals. The agency also reported that at least ten initiatives are underway to simplify regulations and expand legal certainty in the granting and management of mining titles.

Along with cutting bureaucracy, the government aims to stimulate investment in critical minerals by expanding project financing. In 2024, the BNDES, in partnership with the MME and Vale, launched a R$1 billion Critical Minerals Fund to support strategic mineral research, development, and mine implementation, with a focus on junior and medium-sized companies. Investments from the fund are expected to begin in the second half of 2025.

In 2025, with the support of the MME and in partnership with Finep, the BNDES opened a public call with a budget of R$5 billion for the submission of business plans that include investments in production capacity as well as research, development, and innovation for the transformation of strategic minerals and the production of processed materials or manufactured products aimed at the energy transition and decarbonization.

The public call is open until April 30, with the selection results scheduled to be announced by June 12.

“All these actions focused on critical minerals are part of the new industrial policy. Nova Indústria Brasil has been paying close attention to the green agenda, which is one of its strategic pillars, and to the innovation agenda,” says José Luis Gordon, director of Productive Development, Innovation, and Foreign Trade at BNDES.

The MME also launched the Guide for Foreign Investors in Critical Minerals for Energy Transition in Brazil last year and is closely monitoring the progress of bill 2780/24, proposed by Representative Zé Silva (Solidariedade-MG), which aims to establish the National Policy on Critical and Strategic Minerals. The bill is awaiting the opinion of the rapporteur in the Economic Development Committee. After it is voted on, the proposal will still be reviewed by the Environment and Sustainable Development, Mines and Energy, Finance and Taxation, and Constitution, Justice, and Citizenship committees.