18.03.2012/XNUMX/XNUMX - German industry discovers Canada
Germany wants to work with Canada's extractive industry to secure minerals in the longer term. Canada also sees advantages in this: partners in the expensive exploitation of raw materials are indispensable.
German industry seeks cooperation with Canada in the extractive sector. The country is seen as a potential strategic partner in securing long-term access to critical minerals and metals. Conversely, Canadian companies are interested in finding partners in the costly and risky development of new commodity stocks.
Representatives of the state German raw material agency (DERA), the economy and the Helmholtz institute Freiberg for resource technology made the interest at the congress of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) in Toronto clear. The congress is considered the world's largest trade fair for raw material exploration.
"Canada is one of the most important raw material suppliers. Because of its size and geology, Canada has tremendous potential for decades, "said Volker Steinbach from DERA. Germany, on the other hand, is dependent on imports and demand will rise.
The European Commission has classified 14 raw materials as "supply-critical". These are of particular importance to industry, but are scarcely available in the EU and can not currently be replaced by other substances. For a study with the German-Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, DERA has selected eight substances that are needed, for example, for the construction of solar systems, batteries for hybrid and electric cars and fuel cells, and special alloys in medicine and mobile telephones. Canada's abundant metals include germanium, rare earths, tantalum, tungsten and the industrial minerals fluorspar and graphite.
"We need raw materials for new technologies, but at the same time see a high price volatility, a strong concentration of sources and the risk of interference in the trade," said Steinbach. China, which has almost a monopoly on rare earths, is throttling exports. In addition, China is investing in mining projects to secure more sources.
This promotes the Federal Government's interest in economic participation in mining projects abroad. "Reliable sources of supply at reasonable cost are high on the agenda," said Aarti Mona Soerensen of the Toronto Chamber of Commerce.
She sees "promising partners" in Canada and Germany. Some of the coveted minerals are being mined, while others - such as a graphite mine in Ontario - are set to begin production in the near future. For many deposits, exploration has just begun. So the potential of the Ring of Fire in Northern Ontario is not yet to estimate. In Quebec, mining and exploration are being funded by the Plan North. Depots exist in the Arctic and across the country. With many deposits far away, creating the infrastructure is a challenge.
Dierk Paskert, Managing Director of the newly founded German Commodities Alliance, which includes companies such as BASF, BMW, Evonik, Bosch and ThyssenKrupp, sees German industry's growing interest in the "re-integration" in the raw materials sector: "We had to rely on that the market that provides minerals. But the uninterrupted supply of raw materials is no longer God-given. "Participation in projects could be made possible through the alliance of raw materials and the formation of consortia.
Among the Canadians, the initiative meets with interest. He sees an important role for the German industry, with know-how and financial participation to promote the extraction of raw materials, said PDAC President Scott Jobin-Bevans.
Source: Handelsblatt by Gerd Braune
