The Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE) has launched the free virtual course \u201cCritical Minerals and Their Role in the Energy Transition\u201d, a training initiative designed to build technical capacities in response to the growing importance of these resources in global decarbonization, renewable energy, and electromobility.<\/p>\n
The course is led by Gast\u00f3n Siroit, OLACDE\u2019s Technical Advisor, together with international experts, and is being held on June 10, 12, 24 and 26, and July 1, 2025.<\/p>\n
During the opening session, Gloria Alvarenga, Director of Integration, Access, and Energy Security at OLACDE, emphasized that \u201cit is essential to ensure a substantial increase in the production of critical minerals to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement\u201d<\/em>, highlighting the urgency of training technical professionals capable of responding to the accelerating demand for resources such as lithium, copper, and nickel.<\/p>\n OLACDE\u2019s Executive Secretary, Andr\u00e9s Rebolledo, stated that \u201cLatin America and the Caribbean represent 25% of the world\u2019s production of critical minerals. We are part of the global solution to the energy transition.\u201d<\/em> He added that the region has the cleanest electricity matrix in the world, contributing less than 4% of global energy-related emissions, compared to 60\u201370% in other regions, and saw a 34% growth in solar energy in 2024. He also noted that countries like Uruguay already generate over 50% of their electricity from wind energy.<\/p>\n The first module was delivered by Gast\u00f3n Siroit, who explained that the course seeks to \u201cshare knowledge, build community, and strengthen capacities through experience,\u201d<\/em> promoting strategic, technical training. He introduced the first guest speaker, Mart\u00edn Gozalvez, Director of the Geological Institute at the Argentine Geological and Mining Service (SEGEMAR), who led a masterclass on the geological and economic role of critical minerals in the region\u2019s new energy paradigm.<\/p>\n Key insights from Gozalvez\u2019s presentation included:<\/p>\n The natural concentration of nickel in the Earth\u2019s crust is 44 ppm, but can exceed 5,000 ppm in a mineral deposit.<\/p>\n In the case of silver, geological enrichment can reach up to 2,000 times its natural average.<\/p>\n A mineral deposit is only economically viable if it meets conditions of concentration, technical feasibility, and market value.<\/p>\n Over 90% of mining explorations are unsuccessful, making the exploration phase the most uncertain and costly stage of the production cycle.<\/p>\n Deposits are not random; they result from specific tectonic, geochemical, and geological processes, such as subduction or ocean ridges.<\/p>\n \u201cUnderstanding how deposits are formed is key to realizing the strategic value of our natural resources,\u201d Gozalvez concluded, reaffirming the importance of geological knowledge as the foundation of a just and sovereign energy transition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The training addresses the strategic value of mineral resources for achieving decarbonization and electrification goals in LAC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":29883,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[252,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29882","noticias","type-noticias","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n