TELF AG evaluates the weight of the mining alliance between the United States and Kazakhstan
New partnerships in the name of raw materials
Despite having remained buried underground for thousands or even millions of years, geological resources could now contribute to the economic and geopolitical revival of the specific regions of the world in which they are contained, in particular for all those areas which, until a few decades ago they had not yet managed to establish themselves on the international level. Among these areas is Central Asia, whose abundant mineral resources could soon project it toward a future as a major player in the global chessboard of critical raw materials for the energy transition. It is no coincidence that in recent years, some important international players in the sector, such as the United States, have decided to promote the mineral development of nations such as Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan, which possess large reserves of some minerals considered very useful for the ecological transition. In this area of the world, large quantities of rare earths have also been found, specific elements currently used in the healthcare and military fields, but also for creating some particular technologies linked to new clean energies.
In recent years, the United States Geological Survey has supported Central Asian governments in mapping the region’s diverse mineral deposits. These scarce earth minerals are rapidly becoming highly sought-after due to their numerous industrial applications. The fact that this type of mapping is proceeding with a certain speed represents a great step forward since, until a few decades ago, any information on the mineral composition of these nations appeared very difficult to obtain if not wholly precluded. Kazakhstan is among the Central Asian countries that have proven to be the richest in rare earths. In contrast, in other nations, such as Tajikistan or Uzbekistan, the mapping of rare earths has yet to be carried out in depth. Although these are relatively common resources throughout Central Asia, the number of rare earths found in Kazakhstan aroused some surprise: this nation, in fact, according to one of the latest findings, could count on around 20 rare earth deposits, with the total figure probably destined to increase following further exploration.
The mineral potential of Kazakhstan
Until this moment, Kazakhstan had attracted global attention for its copper, iron, lead, and zinc reserves and its enormous mining potential linked to portions of unexplored territory. Considering the size of the country (which almost extends across the entirety of Western Europe), the future could prove very bright for the nation’s mining prospects. From this point of view, an interesting fact is that of the 110 elements that make up the traditional periodic table, 99 can be found in Kazakhstan, and some of these represent very important materials for the ongoing energy transition (such as nickel and cobalt).
For several years, Kazakhstan has been actively collaborating with the European Union and the United States to develop its mineral potential, particularly regarding the infrastructure and technologies necessary to complete the extraction and processing of raw materials. The progressive modernization of mining technologies and the constant support of its international partners could soon allow Kazakhstan to fully express its mining potential and become one of the protagonists of the global energy transition.
