- Russia is finally prepared to launch its copper mining operations in its Far East region between Lake Baikal and the Pacific Ocean.
- Russia’s advancements in the copper sector are bound to set the alarm bells ringing in Beijing that is eyeing Africa’s Copperbelt region to sustain its fast-plummeting high-tech lead.
- If a country succeeds in becoming the most dominant player in the copper mining sector, this will essentially make that country a global leader in green energy.
The road to the realization of Russian ambitions of dominating the world energy sector goes through its Far East region. The region not only has abundant untapped natural resources, but its proximity to Russia’s proposed Northern Sea Route (NSR) also makes it more advantageous for companies seeking to undertake costly mining in the difficult terrain. Copper mining is the one thing that Russia hinges its hopes upon, for dominating the green energy sector.
Copper is vital to renewable and green energy development, given its thermal and electrical conductivity properties. Even China is making wide strides in Africa towards usurping the copper mines of the continent to fuel its thriving green energy sector. However, Russia’s blistering advancements in the Far East Region explain why the two nations may soon find themselves at odds in their bid to dominate the renewable energy sector.
Russia gears up for Copper mining in the Far East region
Russia had stumbled on a vast deposit of copper in Siberia during the 1949 Soviet expedition for Uranium. Now, Russia is finally prepared to launch its copper mining operations in the Far East region between Lake Baikal and the Pacific Ocean. It is after 70 years that Russia is now realizing how copper can drive the world’s energy transition away from carbon. “The long-awaited project is a long-awaited event in the life of the Far East and the entire mining industry of Russia and the world,” said Valery Kazikayev, chairman of Udokan Copper, the company developing the site.
Developing the site in Russian Far East is essentially difficult. The mine is located in the seismic zone, that too on permafrost. Hence, the permafrost must be blown up before carrying out the mining. Temperatures can drop to minus 60 degrees Celsius (minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter. This makes mining in the Far East highly costly and unviable. However, owing to the Russian government’s intense push towards developing its Far East region, the Russian miners are not shying away from trying their luck now.
Read more: As Russia joins hands with India and Japan, China grows wary of its investments in Russian Far East
Beijing’s copper ambitions set to take a massive hit
Russia’s advancements in the copper sector are bound to set the alarm bells ringing in Beijing that is eyeing Africa’s Copperbelt region to sustain its fast-plummeting high-tech lead. China has vigorously expanded its mining operations in the Copperbelt region—which straddles the border of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo—to strengthen its influence in the African mining sector, particularly in the mining of Cobalt, Nickel, Copper, lithium and rare earth minerals. China is backing its private companies to undertake massive mining programs along with seeking hostile takeovers through its infamous debt trap schemes.
In 2016, China’s Molybdenum Co (CMOC) bought a majority stake in giant Tenke Fungurume mine in Congo. The company has now pledged a massive $2.5 billion investment by 2023 to expand its copper and cobalt production in Congo. As reported by Reuters, CMOC is also carrying out a feasibility study on the nearby Kisanfu mine, where it is partnered with Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd.
China’s wide strides in the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan
China is also eying to usurp the copper mines in Afghanistan, cashing in on the massive influence that the communist country wields over the Taliban. As per a report published by Economic Times, China is exploring ways to begin copper mining at Mes Aynak, Afghanistan’s best-known deposit located about 40 kilometers south-east of the capital. China’s Jiangxi Copper has a 25% stake in Mes Aynak that stores roughly 50$ billion worth of copper reserves.
Pushback from Africa
China is facing an intense pushback from the African countries, that risks jeopardizing its great ambitions. Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Kenya have begun cancelling Chinese projects, and Beijing is practically running helter-skelter for cover, as its expansionist dreams get jeopardized by African nations despite it having crushed them under the weight of massive debts. Meanwhile, a coup in Guinea threatens to bring China’s aluminium industry to a standstill.
These smaller African countries are waking up to the Chinese menace that has turned the tables for China’s expansionist ambitions. Instead, the African countries are embracing Russian increasing role in the continent’s energy sector. Russia has historically made many efforts to help the African Continent overcome its energy deficit. Moscow has inked many nuclear energy agreements with African countries ready to adopt Russian nuclear energy. Among the countries that have transacted with the Russian nuclear energy conglomerate Rosatom is Ghana.
Read More: Ghana, Sierra Leone, DRC and Kenya crush China’s African domination dreams
Copper is a highly sought-after metallic element and the renewable energy sector’s future relies on it, heavily. It is also a highly efficient conductor of electricity and heat, and is used in renewable energy systems to generate power from solar, hydro, thermal and wind energies across the world. If a country succeeds in becoming the most dominant player in the copper mining sector, this will essentially make that country a global leader in green energy. China’s pursuit of materializing its green energy ambitions looked promising in the beginning, but Russia’s quiet entry into the copper mining sector has changed the equations altogether.