2023-11-02 08:32:58
They are in our smartphones and computers, soon in our electric cars, but also under our feet. Rare metals like lithium or tungsten are hidden in the French subsoil. Their operations, in the form of new mines, offer as many answers to the problems of mineral supply as they raise questions about their environmental sustainability.
Emmanuel Hache, economist at the IFP Énergies nouvelles research institute (IFPEN) and author of “Metaux, the new black gold” (Editions du Rocher), puts into perspective the potential and risks of opening up these mining activities.
Emmanuel Hache is also professor and research director at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS). DR
What could the exploitation of mineral resources in France change?
EMMANUEL HACHE. We will have our own resources. By 2040-2050, we will need materials to power low-carbon technologies, such as wind turbines and solar panels, but also electric vehicles and batteries. Today we are 95-97% dependent on imported materials. The more we produce here, the more strategically autonomous we will be, with the possibility of choosing our diplomatic alliances because we will no longer be dependent on supplies. We will no longer be victims of restrictions on commodity markets. China has, for example, already implemented export quotas on graphite or other strategic metals.
What could this relocated mining industry look like?
It is not just a question of purely mining but of the entire production chain. It is necessary to extract and then refine, therefore it is also necessary to relocate the industrial activities of metal production. This would be of no use if it was to then export the ore to China where it would be refined. The outdated image of these installations must also evolve, because they maintain an image that refers to “Germinal” while this industry is notably more respectful of working conditions. Some territories could be reindustrialized in the process.
The opening of mines will cause friction, do you understand the reluctance of environmental associations and residents?
These are natural concerns and should be taken into account. We cannot ignore environmental issues, but the industry has progressed a lot, with European standards much stricter than elsewhere in the world. We have, over the last 30 years, outsourced our pollution by producing far away, and having these activities on our territory would also allow us to participate in decarbonization by reducing imports. We could create new mining standards and export them. Finally, acceptance will require the economic involvement of citizens to avoid the creation of Yellow Vests hostile in principle to mining operations.
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