Franco Mignaccopresident of CAEM, hosted not only the food, but also the event, which he organized with the Germans from Messe Frankfurt at La Rural. “From the Chamber we know the work that companies carry out today, which is fundamental for the country, because 8 out of every 10 pesos generated by mining remain in Argentina,” he affirmed in the Plenary Hall on Tuesday night, where more than 500 people were summoned. At the main table, the national secretaries of Energy, Flavia Royonand Mining, Fernanda Avilaambassadors and provincial ministers of these two economic verticals, which as never seen before, today play more together than ever.
“Mining is transforming the reality of communities in places where before there was no drinking water, electricity, roads or communications. And above all, there were no opportunities”highlighted Mignacco, who assured that more than 100,000 people already work in the sector, either directly or indirectly. “The work of the companies in terms of social investment, agreed with the provinces, the municipalities, the communities themselves, is immense, and promotes lasting changes that will prevail even beyond the life of the projects,” added.
The head of the Chamber and president of EXAR Miningwhich next June will show the world its first 100 tons of lithium from Jujuy ready to travel to China, highlighted at the ceremony conducted by Mariana Fabbiani and the executive director of CAEM, Alexandra Cardona, that mining is one of the only three industries that generates net foreign currency for the country at the time it is most needed. And there, between the first course and the second, there was also room for reproaches: delays with imports and lack of dollars.
“We want equal access to imports of goods and services necessary for production and for the construction of projects”Mignacco said. “We continue without solutions with the impact of the exchange rate mismatch, as has been provided to other export sectors. We have difficulties with the increase in costs in dollars that are especially impacting the most mature projects, which are the ones with the lowest profit margin, those that can shorten their useful life”, added.
In CAEM they assure that for every dollar that goes into imports, 10 dollars are produced in exports. “We are more than self-sufficient with dollars”they say. In the Mining Secretariat of the Nation they answer that They are the second sector with the most imports approved so far in Massa’s administration, behind the automotive industry. The Chamber will shortly publish not only the Mining Cost Index (ICM) so that companies know where they stand with respect to Chile and the advance of inflation, but the data on social investment of the companies, which they promise, will dazzle. With these tools, they will insist on their orders again. One of the alternatives being analyzed to relaunch the sector is to allow multinationals to use their dollars abroad to pay for goods and services from foreign suppliers, without the foreign currency entering the country.. In return, one possibility is that the Nation applies a revenue fee for those purchaseswhich indeed are for Argentina but are sold abroad.
“We know that it is an election year, but the needs of the people and the country do not wait. And the times of mining either. It takes more than 20 years to put a production project from scratch. And for example, if we look at the perspective of our country, it will not have new gold and silver projects in production in the next decade, similar to what we have already been developing in our country. We must promote the arrival of investments today, we must support copper projects today so that they can get started. We have world-class copper deposits that generate a great impact from the momentum given by clean energy and electromobility. An impulse that also includes lithium projects that are being set up in the country”, remarked Mignacco.
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Hector Laplacegeneral secretary of AOMA, took a public toll for the lack of appreciation. “An old leader once taught me: there is no company without workers and there are no workers without companies. Everyone forgot to name us”. The trade unionist, unscathed by his ideas over time, took the opportunity to cross over to Gerardo Morales, which the day before in the effort to raise lithium projects said that the nationalization in Chile will bring more investment to Argentina. “I would be interested in Argentina’s lithium doing well and not because other neighboring countries are doing badly. We cannot expect investments to come to Argentina because the rest are doing poorly,” he stressed.
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Flavia Royon was direct: “The mining industry, as the OECD says, is one of the 10 most intensive sectors in energy use. We have a common agenda, because in Argentina with the new mining and the new projects, it has the opportunity to generate a low-emission mining”.
According to Royón, the Nestor Kirchner pipeline which is inaugurated on Flag Day It will allow to reach the NOA with energy from Vaca Muerta. “The reversal of gas (as a fuel for the energy transition) will make it possible to supply gas to the North of Argentina and will make it possible to develop projects,” he said, adding that electrical works will also be deployed. “In the coming weeks, the technical study for a high voltage line that ends up joining the ring in San Juan is being tendered”, advertisement. This 500 kv initiative is key for copper megaprojects such as Josemaría and solar renewables that need more capacity to transfer it to the national grid, but also to connect the province of Cuyo: it is currently hooked up through Mendoza.
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“From the Ministry of Energy Royón said. We are committed to this agenda because it will clearly be the energy and mining sectors that will contribute to the consolidation of the economy”. Within this framework, the official estimated that between 2024 and 2025 the country will go from having a positive energy balance of almost US$4.5 billion to another of almost u$s10,000 million by 2030. “Today other much more developed economies that demand critical Argentine minerals and energy. The country needs financing to be able to promote this sector, financing is needed in infrastructure, to strengthen the technological system, as well as partners are needed to be able to develop greater added value”, he raised as challenges for the future.
Fernanda Avila He took back the glove that Mignacco dropped and before it falls, he asserted: “The industry is probably living its most important decade”. The Catamarcan highlighted that with almost 38,000 direct jobs and more than US$11.8 billion in investments, 2023 is the record year for mining. In 2022, it refreshed, it was exported for US$3.850 million. “It is our best export result since 2002.”
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“Argentina is living a moment with new spaces for dialogue. Here is a consensus that years ago seemed really unthinkable. Today all the political parties talk about mining as an axis for the development of the country, as an industry that is going to solve part of the problems we have. There is no longer talk of mining yes or mining no. They talk about how we are going to develop mining in Argentina”, stressed Ávila, who estimated at the end of the dinner that by 2030 with the projects announced and underway, mining exports could reach around US$19,000 million.
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After the applauded speeches, the crossed darts, the classic dish of tenderloin with mashed potatoes and an exquisite chocolate mousse, came the trivia, prizes and toasts.
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In short, the message of the night that was sought to be given was that companies, governments, unions and communities pulling for the same side will achieve the desired mining development. The closing was left for a live show of one of the best Tribute Bands to The Beatles. The perfect excuse to end the night with pure dancing and selfies.
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Source: Ambito
