The Cerro de Pasco Mine contains critical raw materials such as gallium.
The U.S. government’s development finance institution, DFC, will support the recovery of critical raw materials from mine tailings with up to five million U.S. dollars. These tailings at the Cerro de Pasco Mine in Peru’s central highlands contain, in addition to silver, copper, and tin, also gallium and indium, according to a press release from the project developer.
Furthermore, the DFC is considering the possibility of providing the project with a direct loan of up to 300 million U.S. dollars for construction. In recent months, the institution has already committed project-related development financing in Brazil and coordinated U.S. collaboration with Uzbekistan on investments in the country’s mineral resources.
The recovery of critical raw materials from tailings and other forms of secondary mining is gaining increasing global importance, particularly in light of China’s strong market influence.
Photo: Oleksii Liskonih