Three dead in Israel strike on Syria's Aleppo airport: monitor

Issued on: 07/03/2023 

Syria's Aleppo airport, which has been knocked out by an air strike blamed on Israel, has been a major conduit for earthquake relief supplies © - / AFP/File

Beirut (AFP) – Israeli warplanes killed three people in a raid on Syria's Aleppo airport Tuesday, a war monitor said after the strike which, according to a Syrian official, halted earthquake aid flights.

The airport has been a major conduit for relief flights since a February 6 earthquake devastated swathes of southeastern Turkey and neighbouring Syria.

A transport ministry official in Syria said the aid flights were among those brought to a stop from Aleppo, Syria's second city.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of sources in war-torn Syria, said "a Syrian officer" and two people of unknown nationality were killed in the air strike.

Syria's defence ministry said the strike occurred at 2:07 am (2307 GMT Monday).

"The Israeli enemy carried out an air attack from the Mediterranean west of Latakia targeting Aleppo international airport," a ministry statement said.

It added that the damage forced authorities to close the airport to all flights.

More than 80 aid flights have landed in Aleppo over the past month with relief supplies for quake-hit areas, transport ministry official Suleiman Khalil told AFP.

"It is no longer possible to receive aid flights until the damage has been repaired," he said, adding the strike had put the runway out of service.
Aid diverted

Aid deliveries have been diverted to Damascus and Latakia airports, a ministry statement said.

State news agency SANA said Syrian air defences had gone into action against "enemy missiles".

An Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment on the reported strike.

The Observatory said the airport was expected to reopen in a few days after repair work.

Syria's foreign ministry decried a "double crime", saying the strike targeted "a civilian airport... and one of the key channels for the arrival of humanitarian aid" to victims of the quake which killed around 6,000 people in Syria.

It marked the second Israeli attack on government-held areas since the 7.8-magnitude quake that killed more than 50,000 people in the two countries.

On February 19, an Israeli air strike killed 15 people in a Damascus district housing state security agencies, the Observatory said.

Aleppo international airport © Omar KAMAL / AFP

Damascus ally Iran condemned the latest strike as "a "crime against humanity".

"While the Syrian earthquake victims in Aleppo are experiencing difficult conditions, the Zionist regime (Israel) is attacking Aleppo airport," foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement.

Israel has attacked Aleppo and Damascus airports several times in recent years.

A strike on the Aleppo facility last September put it out of service for a few days. That attack targeted a warehouse used by Iran-backed militias, the Observatory said at the time.

Since civil war erupted in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air raids against its neighbour, primarily targeting positions of the Syrian army and its Iranian and Hezbollah allies.

The Israeli military rarely comments on individual strikes against Syria, but has vowed repeatedly to keep up its air campaign to stop arch foe Iran consolidating its presence.

French pension reform showdown: 'Game of chicken between the streets and parliament'

Issued on: 08/03/2023 - 

05:41

French President Emmanuel Macron is once again facing fierce pushback over his plans to raise the retirement age for millions. Public transport was severely disrupted across France, fuel deliveries were halted and teachers walked off the job as unions kicked off a sixth day of nationwide protests, vowing to bring the country to a standstill. For more on the latest showdown over the controversial reform, FRANCE 24 is joined by Andrew Smith, Historian of modern France and Lecturer in Liberal Arts at Queen Mary University.

‘We can defeat Macron’: Why women’s anger is fuelling French pension protests


Issued on: 07/03/2023 -

Protesters dressed as feminist icon Rosie the Riveter rally against the French government's planned pension reform in Paris on March 7, 2023. © Benjamin Dodman, FRANCE 24

Text by:Benjamin DODMAN

Huge crowds marched across France on Tuesday in a sixth round of protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the retirement age, signalling continued opposition to a controversial reform that polls say up two three-quarters of French women reject.

In the French capital, where organisers say well over half a million people turned out (police put the number at fewer than 100,000), unionists and left-wing parties traded their traditional eastern rallying points for the wealthy 6th arrondissement (district) of central Paris, gathering along the fashion boulevards of the left bank.

Outside the famed Lutetia palace hotel, puzzled tourists and shoppers worked their way through a sea of union and other flags. A few steps away, dozens of women danced to the tune of Gloria Gaynor’s “I will survive”, each of them dressed as the feminist champion Rosie the Riveter in her iconic blue overalls.

Unionists gather outside the Lutetia palace hotel in Paris ahead of Tuesday's rally. 

© Benjamin Dodman, FRANCE 24

Among them was Camille, a 54-year-old publisher who said she turned out to protest in solidarity with the low-income workers – many of them women – who “stand to lose most” from the pension overhaul. She slammed a reform “hashed out in a hurried and brutal manner, without consultations and despite overwhelming opposition”.

“Women are structurally underpaid and their pensions are lower as a result. And yet they have some of the most exhausting jobs, working absurd hours on top of caring for the young and the elderly,” she said, pointing to the fact that women's pensions are on average 40 percent lower than men's.

She added: “The fact that they’re being asked to work longer now only adds insult to injury.“

The reform’s Achilles’ heel

Macron has staked his reformist credentials on passage of his flagship pension overhaul, which polls say around two thirds of the French now oppose – including a staggering 74 percent of women, according to a recent survey by the Elabe institute.

The government argues that raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 and stiffening the requirements for a full pension are required to balance the pension system amid shifting demographics. But unions say the proposed measures are unfair and would disproportionately affect low-skilled workers who start their careers early, as well as women.

>> ‘I can’t take any more’: Working-class French lament Macron’s push to raise retirement age

Opponents of the reform have succeeded in framing the pension debate in much larger terms, focusing on the questions of how wealth is distributed under Macron, and whether the poorest and most vulnerable will carry the burden of his proposals.

Talk of the text’s gender imbalance has gained particular traction, not least since one of Macron’s own ministers admitted in January that it would “leave women a little penalised” – in one of several PR blunders that have marred the government’s attempts to promote its increasingly unpopular plan.

“Macron and his government have lied by claiming that women would be better off thanks to this reform,” said Camille at the Paris rally. “This injustice towards women is the reform’s Achilles’ heel: a united front of French women can defeat it.”

11:54

The sense that the government had misled women was shared by many protesters, fuelling their resentment of the proposal, which is currently being hurried through parliament.

“The government claimed the reform would foster ‘justice’ and ‘equality’, but it soon turned out to be a publicity stunt,” said Sandrine Tellier, 47, a representative of the energy and mining branch of the Force Ouvrière trade union. “In reality, it merely aggravates existing inequalities.”
Justice at stake

France’s enduring gender pay gap is reflected in a discrepancy between the average pensions paid out to men and women. That discrepancy is exacerbated by rules penalising those who worked part time or whose careers are interrupted by childcare.

They include 64-year-old Florentine Delangue, whose record of unpaid apprenticeships and career interruptions mean she is yet to qualify for a full pension, despite getting her first job at a hair salon aged 16.

“I started working two years before my husband, but I will have to keep going after he’s retired,” she said. “That’s why I’m angry.”

As in past protests against Macron's pension reform, students featured prominently in Tuesday's rally. © Benjamin Dodman, FRANCE 24

Jacqueline, a 57-year-old lab worker at a Paris hospital, said she couldn't bear the prospect of having to work an extra two years before qualifying for a full pension. She claimed she had never taken part in a protest before.

“I worked part-time to raise my daughter, but I had no choice. It’s not like I went part-time to go to the beach or something,” she said. “This is too much. I'm too tired and there's too much injustice.

>> ‘Not just about pensions’: French protesters see threat to social justice in Macron’s reform

The notion of pénibilité (arduousness) was a recurrent theme at the rally, where protesters lamented the government’s refusal to acknowledge the hardship endured by low-income workers who perform physically-draining tasks. Macron has in the past said he was “not a fan” of the word pénibilité, “because it suggests that work is a pain”.

Such a stance reflects politicians’ “insensitivity” and “ignorance of the realities of life”, said veteran theatre director Ariane Mnouchkine, adding that “parliamentarians should try working as hotel cleaners to see what back-breaking work really feels like”.

Mnouchkine’s troupe from the Theatre du Soleil carried a huge statue of Lady Justice, blindfolded and holding a balance and sword. The 84-year-old director said the very principle of justice was at stake in France’s pension battle.

“The government is sentencing those who live the toughest lives to tougher retirement, whereas they deserve a more comfortable one,” she explained. “The only consolation is that everyone seems to have realised just how unfair this is.”

A statue of Lady Justice carried by members of Ariane Mnouchkine's Theatre du Soleil at the Paris protest. © Benjamin Dodman, FRANCE 24

Pension reform showdown: 'This project of the French government is a real social disaster'

Issued on: 07/03/2023 -

08:59

© France 24
Video by: Genie GODUL

French President Emmanuel Macron is once again facing fierce pushback over his plans to raise the retirement age for millions. Public transport was severely disrupted across France, fuel deliveries were halted and teachers walked off the job as unions kicked off a sixth day of nationwide protests, vowing to bring the country to a standstill. For more on the latest showdown over the controversial reform, FRANCE 24 is joined by Rémi Aufrere-Privel, National Representative for the UNSA Railway Union.

21ST CENTURY ALCHEMY

Newly discovered protein supports efficient refining of REEs

RARE EARTH ELEMENTS
Staff Writer | March 6, 2023 |

Terbium. (Reference image from Wikimedia Commons).

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, researchers at ETH Zurich describe the discovery of lanpepsy, a protein which specifically binds lanthanides – or rare earth elements – and discriminates them from other minerals and metals.


Because of their similarity to other metal ions, the purification of REE from the environment is cumbersome and economical only in a few locations. Knowing this, the scientists decided to explore biological materials with high binding specificity for lanthanides as mechanisms that could offer a way forward.

The first step was to review previous studies that suggest that nature has evolved a variety of proteins or small molecules to scavenge lanthanides. Other research groups have discovered that certain bacteria, methylotrophs that convert methane or methanol, have enzymes that require lanthanides in their active sites. Since the initial discoveries in this field, the identification and characterization of proteins involved in the sensing, uptake, and utilization of lanthanides, has become an emerging field of research.

To identify novel actors in the lanthanome, Jethro Hemmann and Philipp Keller together with collaborators from D-BIOL and the laboratory of Detlef Günther at D-CHAB, studied the lanthanide response of the obligate methylotroph Methylobacillus flagellatus.

By comparing the proteome of cells grown in the presence and absence of lanthanum, they found several proteins not previously related to lanthanide utilization.

Among them was a small protein of unknown function, which the team now named lanpepsy. In vitro characterization of the protein revealed binding sites for lanthanides with high specificity for lanthanum over the chemically similar calcium.

Lanpepsy is able to enrich lanthanides from a solution and thus holds potential for the development of bioinspired processes for the sustainable purification of rare earths.

South America looks at creating “lithium OPEC”

Cecilia Jamasmie | March 6, 2023 |

Caucharí-Olaroz lithium mine, one of the two producing assets in Argentina. (Image courtesy of Lithium Americas Corp.)

Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Brazil are analyzing the creation of a lithium cartel of sorts in charge of expanding South America’s processing capacity, turning more of their mined lithium into batteries and tapping into the electric vehicles (EVs) manufacturing sector.


The group would emulate similar schemes, such as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in terms of coordinating production flows, pricing and good practices, representatives of the Argentinean delegation said at the annual PDAC Convention, held this week in Toronto, Canada.

Argentina, Chile, Bolivia have been negotiating since July last year, when foreign ministers of each country met at the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) conference in Buenos Aires.

The three countries make up the so-called lithium triangle, which has about 65% of the world’s known resources of lithium and reached 29.5% of world production in 2020.

While Brazil’s lithium sector is just waking up to global demand, the nation has auto-making experience and it is already a global case study in low carbon mobility, powering cars with ethanol, biofuels and natural gas.

With Sigma Lithium (TSX-V; NASDAQ: SGML) coming into the mix with the opening of its Grota do Cirilo lithium mine in April, Brazil will have one of the few companies globally that has proven its ability to produce lithium in an environmentally sustainable manner.

“We have to prepare ourselves for what’s coming and be able to adapt — beginning perhaps with cells, working toward industrialization, and getting to batteries,” Argentina’s mining undersecretary Fernanda Avila said in an interview at PDAC.

Graphic by Bloomberg with data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Shared interest in maximizing the benefits of soaring demand for batteries and increasing prices has revived regional talks for cooperation.

Even Mexico, which traditionally has partnered with the USA and Canada, has made moves to partner with its southern neighbours.

Studies indicate that Mexico has about 1.7 million tonnes of lithium reserves. While close to a dozen foreign companies have active mining concessions that aim to develop potential those deposits, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said all of them will be “reviewed” in light of the recent nationalization of the resource.

JPMorgan said last year it expected Argentina to grow from supplying 6% of the world’s lithium in 2021 to 16% by 2030. If the prediction turns out to be correct, Argentina would overtake Chile as the No. 2 lithium producer in the world by 2027, behind only Australia.

Argentina has been welcoming foreign investment since the 1990s, while Chile and Bolivia have been hesitant to allow foreign companies to exploit their reserves.

The country has attracted major miners over the past two years, including the world’s second largest miner Rio Tinto and South Korean steelmaker Posco.

Investments in the lithium sector reached an estimated $1.5 billion last year, data from the Cámara Argentina de Empresarios Mineros, a group of mining entrepreneurs, shows. The body forecasts that investments would reach more than $5 billion in the coming years, as the country currently hosts more than 20 projects in various stages of development.

Chinese carmaker Chery Inc. revealed plans last month to build a $400 million EV and battery plant in Argentina.

Fellow battery maker Gotion High-tech Co. is looking at cooperating with the government of Jujuy, one of Argentina’s three lithium-producing provinces, while weighing the construction of a lithium carbonate refinery in the region.

(With files from Bloomberg)

Ontario OKs Ring of Fire road review plan by First Nations

Colin McClelland | March 6, 2023 |

George Pirie, Ontario Mines Minister with Chief Bruce Achneepineskum of Marten Falls First Nation and Chief Cornelius Wabasse of Webequie First Nation at PDAC 2023. 

Credit: Colin McClelland

Ontario has approved another small step on the long journey to build an all-season road to the Ring of Fire minerals area in the province’s far north.


The province granted the terms of reference for an environmental assessment of the Northern Link road, the last terms approved among the three roads planned for the area 540 km northeast of Thunder Bay. The plans were submitted by the Webequie and Marten Falls First Nations. The Northern Link is to connect the two communities and potential mining projects.

“I value our partnership with these strong leaders who are central to our government’s mandate to develop the Ring of Fire,” George Pirie, Minister of Mines, said in a news release accompanying remarks on Monday at PDAC in Toronto. “The Ring of Fire has the critical minerals we need to build our manufacturing supply chain, including nickel for electric vehicles and chromite for clean steel.”

The cost of the roads isn’t clear although Victoria, BC-based The Narwhal, citing memos in the government of Premier Doug Ford, said it’s estimated at more than C$2 billion.

Environmentalists and at least several Indigenous communities in the region, such as the Neskantaga First Nation and several James Bay communities such as Attawapiskat, are opposed to mining and roads they say will desecrate the area. The boggy peatlands and muskeg swamps are difficult to build through and hold millions of tonnes of carbon. Construction would cause its release, outweighing the benefits from mining metals for green energy, they say. (Mushkegowuk Council communities have proposed their own road, however, to link some James Bay coastal communities to the provincial highway system.) Meeting mineral demand to fight climate change is one of the main planks wielded by project supporters.

“This project has the potential to finally bring economic reconciliation for remote First Nations in Ontario,” Chief Cornelius Wabasse of Webequie First Nation said in the release. “But these opportunities must also be balanced against the potential environmental and socio-cultural risks associated with building a road.”

Of the two other roads, which are already undergoing environmental assessments, one would link the Marten Falls community to the provincial highway network to the south. The other would run from the Webequie First Nation to proposed mining developments. The Northern Link is to connect the two roads. Each requires its own environmental assessment on the provincial level, while federal review may only apply to the Marten Falls and Webequie community roads and not the Northern Link, at least initially.

The area’s most advanced project is Ring of Fire Metals’ Eagle’s Nest. According to a 2012 feasibility study, it has an 11-year mine life and an estimated cost $609 million. Proven and probable reserves are 11.1 million tonnes grading 1.68% nickel, 0.87% copper, 0.87 gram platinum per tonne, 3.09 grams palladium and 0.18 gram gold.

Ring of Fire beat out giant BHP (NYSE: BHP; LSE: BHP; ASX: BHP) for the asset after US-based Cleveland-Cliffs (NYSE: CLF) pulled out of the area in 2013 even though it had already spent half a billion dollars to advance local chromite deposits.

Also at PDAC, the province awarded C$5 million in grants as part of the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund supporting Ontario-based companies developing new mining technologies.

Grants of C$500,000 each went to: Frontier Lithium (TSXV: FL) to develop innovative lithium processing techniques; Vale Canada (NYSE: VALE) to develop bioleaching techniques to extract nickel and cobalt from tailings; Ring of Fire Metals to test storing tailings as underground backfill in mine workings. Indigenous-owned Carbonix received C$475,000 to convert mining waste, petroleum coke and other by-products into graphite for batteries. The recipients of the remaining circa C$3 million weren’t mentioned.

“We’re connecting the critical minerals of the north with the manufacturing might of the south,” Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, said in the release.

Canada says working to ease permitting process for mining companies

Reuters | March 6, 2023 | 

Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson. (Image courtesy of Province of British Columbia.)

Canada is working toward easing permitting process for mining companies so that the permitting does not take several years, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference in Toronto on Monday.


Canada could consider tax reform offering incentives for investment in clean energy – similar to what the United States has done – in its upcoming budget in an attempt to attract investment to its critical minerals sector, Wilkinson said.

“We are reviewing Canada’s regulatory process for clean energy projects including critical minerals,” Wilkinson said.

Canada and its allies, in an attempt to rely less on China, have been looking to diversify their supply chains and find local sources for mining and processing critical metals such as lithium.

Citing the incentives for clean energy investments in the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act in the United States, Wilkinson said Canada needed a similarly competitive tax environment.

At PDAC, one of the largest mining conferences in North America, mining companies are looking for clues on policy, especially as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration adopts a hawkish stance on China, one of the largest investors in mines around the world.

Some junior mining companies have expressed concerns that Canada’s move to restrict investments from certain countries such as China could hurt their plans.

Industry Minister Francois Philippe Champagne, who was also in attendance, responded that he was not concerned and that a record number of companies were interested in investing in Canada.

“The decision to block the Chinese lithium investments has been well received by our partners and allies around the world.” Champagne said.

(Reporting by Divya Rajagopal in Toronto; writing by Ismail Shakil –Editing by Deepa Babington)

Scientists work on solid-state battery that uses fewer ‘problem’ metals
Staff Writer | March 7, 2023 | 

EV charging station. (Reference image by C-CarTom, Wikimedia Commons).

A team from Florida State University and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has developed a new strategy to build solid-state batteries that are less dependent on specific chemical elements, particularly expensive metals with supply chain issues.


In a paper published in the journal Science, the researchers demonstrated that a mix of various solid-state molecules could result in a more conductive battery that was less dependent on a large quantity of an individual element.

“There’s no hero element here,” lead researcher Bin Ouyang said. “It’s a collective of diverse elements that make things work. What we found is that we can get this highly conductive material as long as different elements can assemble in a way that atoms can move around quickly. And there are many situations that can lead to these so-called atom diffusion highways, regardless of which elements it may contain.”

Solid-state batteries operate almost the same way as other batteries—they store energy and then release it to power devices. But rather than liquid or polymer gel electrolytes found in lithium-ion batteries, they use solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte. This means that a higher energy density can occur in the battery because lithium metal can be used as the anode.

Additionally, they have lower fire risk and potentially increase the mileage of electric vehicles.

However, many of the batteries constructed thus far are based on critical metals that are not available in large quantities.

The research team considered the straightforward path of using one element to replace commonly used ones, but that approach raised its own supply chain issues. Instead, the team addressed the problem by designing materials that weren’t beholden to one specific element. For example, instead of creating a battery made with germanium, which rarely appears naturally in high concentrations, the team created a mixture of titanium, zirconium, tin, and hafnium.

“With such a feature, we need to assemble those elements in a way so that we have many ‘good’ local configurations which can form a network for the fast transport of atoms or energy,” Ouyang said. “Think of it as a highway. As long as there is a connected highway for atom diffusion, the atoms can move quickly.”

The scientist noted that this study opened a new area of research for him and his colleagues as they work to build more efficient solid-state batteries.

Major copper producers unveil plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050

Reuters | March 7, 2023 | 

Credit: Codelco

A group of the world’s biggest copper producers said it aimed to slash direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, in a move that could make the sector more attractive to environmentally-conscious investment funds.


With copper demand forecast to double to 50 million tonnes by 2050 from 2020 levels, the International Copper Association’s (ICA) roadmap released on Tuesday set a target for members to cut direct and indirect emissions by 30% to 40% by 2030, and by 70% to 80% by 2040, before reaching zero by 2050, it said.

Members include BHP Group, Chile’s Codelco, Glencore, Freeport-McMoRan, Japan’s JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation, and Poland’s KGHM.

There are no members from China, the world’s biggest producer of refined copper.

The copper producers plan to reduce direct and indirect emissions by decarbonising power supply, improving efficiency and scrap collection. Copper production from scrap metal can typically be done via electricity so is easier to decarbonise.

The ICA’s members will also work with customers to reduce their “scope 3” emissions by 10% by 2030, by 30% to 40% by 2040, and by 60% to 70% by 2050, it said.

“These collective ambitions show a clear trajectory to achieving defined emissions reductions of up to 85% by 2050, with the balance to be addressed through advanced technologies and enhanced collaboration,” the ICA said.

Emissions produced by the copper industry as a whole represent 0.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, the average emission intensity of refined copper production was 4.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per tonne of copper, down by 13.4% from 5.4 tonnes of CO2e in 1990.

Given copper’s key role in the energy transition and the “ambitious” decarbonisation plans, the sector should be an attractive investment for funds that use environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, the ICA said.

(By Melanie Burton; Editing by Jamie Freed)

Argentina moves to stop wetlands bill from foiling lithium boom
Bloomberg News | March 7, 2023 | 

Stock image.

Argentina is in talks with policy makers and companies to prevent drafted wetlands-protection legislation from slamming the breaks on exploration as the world looks for more environmentally friendly energy sources.


Argentina is on course to become one of the biggest suppliers of lithium needed for the move to cleaner energy and transportation. The country has been working on legislation, pushed by its president in a major speech last week, to protect its wetlands amid sprawling fires often blamed on farmers. But such a law could grind lithium exploration to a halt.

“We’re all convinced that looking after the environment is a central pillar of development,” federal Mining Undersecretary Fernanda Avila said in an interview at a mining conference in Toronto. “What we’re debating and discussing is how the wetlands law can go through without putting mining projects at risk.”

Some versions of the legislation classify Argentina’s lithium-rich Andean salt flats, a growing magnet for international miners and battery makers, as wetland areas because of the vast saline pools beneath the surface. Governors of the country’s three main lithium provinces have voiced strong concerns that a law would therefore impede exploration for the metal.

The federal government is working with the provinces and an industry group representing miners to make sure that doesn’t happen, Avila said.

The government is also trying to convince miners that Argentina is ripe for long-term investments after piecemeal policies to address the country’s restrictions on money flows and export taxes fell short.

“We’re talking with companies, which are generally investing no less than $4 billion, to give them better assurances through an agreement encompassing several issues,” Avila said.

(By Jonathan Gilbert and James Attwood)

Peru to unleash stranded copper with roadblocks largely cleared
Bloomberg News | March 7, 2023 | 

Protesters in Lima draped with Peruvian flags and waving Wiphalas. Credit: Wikipedia

The government of Peru, the second-biggest producer of copper and zinc, expects that shipments of the commodities will begin to normalize within days as the nation’s worst street protests in decades ease.


“The issue of protests has been reduced to a minimum at this time,” Oscar Vera, newly-appointed energy and mines minister, said in an interview. “The mining corridor is now open and in the coming days, mineral will begin to be taken out.”

The full resumption of shipments will come as a relief to tight global metal markets, which were roiled by a surge of protests prompted by the impeachment of former President Pedro Castillo. The months of unrest — which constrained the transport of metal to ports and supplies to mines — embroiled operations by companies including Glencore Plc and Freeport-McMoRan Inc., while highlighting risks to commodity output from emerging markets.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Toronto on Monday, Vera said authorities eased tensions by establishing lines of communication with communities and understanding their concerns. In many cases, conflicts related to stalled investments in local water and health projects, he said, adding that the government has stepped up efforts to ensure public works get done.

To be sure, unrest lingers in some areas. In Puno, home to some of the worst protests, roadblocks have continued even after those in other mining regions were lifted. While Minsur SA’s giant San Rafael tin mine has restarted operations after a 45-day halt, it’s still a long way from full capacity.

Minister Vera said direct and ongoing communication and concrete action to address demands were paying off — even at MMG Ltd.’s Las Bambas mine, which has endured more than 400 days of roadblocks in its seven-year history.

With blockades at a minimum, Las Bambas will probably resume copper transport “between today and tomorrow,” Vera said. He said he’s hoping there’ll be a lasting solution with a military presence along roads and authorities on the ground to make sure mine commitments are met. There are also proposals to change the route used to transport ore to port.

Peru’s copper production is likely to have taken a hit from the protests, but Vera said he was “very optimistic that in the coming days everything starts to normalize,” with output recovering over the rest of the year.

The government has identified a total of $6.9 billion in mining investments this year and next, made up of seven likely projects. Still, there are some projects, such as Southern Copper Corp.’s Tia Maria, that while technically sound, require further work to convince local communities of the benefits, he said.
Oil reentry

Vera defended state-owned Petroleos del Peru SA’s plans to resume drilling in the Amazon rainforest at what was once the nation’s largest and leakiest oil field.

Petroperu’s move back into the highly profitable oil-producing industry carries little risk because it’s doing so in a field that only requires reactivation rather than a capital intensive development, he said.

For Lot 192, in a remote area near Ecuador, Petroperu is seeking an operating partner and is “negotiating with a company, I understand,” the minister said.

(By James Attwood and Marcelo Rochabrun)