CERAWEEK Copper miners fight for workers to ensure green energy transition | – #CERAWEEK #Copper #miners #fight #workers #ensure #green #energy #transition

HOUSTON, March 8 (Reuters) – Copper mining giants are facing rising global demand for the red metal to fuel the green energy transition, particularly USAstruggles to attract and retain employees.

While regulatory pushback and water supply are among the mining industry’s historical challenges, access to talent has emerged as another concern.

With workers preferring less physically demanding jobs over remote locations, attracting mining talent is now in the next decade pension is a major challenge for the industry facing the wave of Workers with the skills to build and operate mines that produce lithium, nickel, copper and other metals are needed to feed the green energy transition.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc’s (FCX.N) USACopper production in 2022 has declined, and the company expects it to decline 1% this year due to a lack of talent at a time when demand for copper is growing.

USAin 10The Phoenix-based company, which has more than 0,000 jobs, boosted already lucrative salaries and one-time bonuses to attract and retain employees. offer did, but has begun using contractors to operate at least one US mine, Chief Executive Officer Richard Adkerson told Reuters on the sidelines of the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston.

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20Adkerson, who has run the company since 2003, said, “It affects our operations to some extent and affects our expansion plans. We’re just trying to make our business as attractive to people as we can.” problem.”

Freeport has strengthened outreach to college-age students and waived bachelor’s degree requirements for some mine control positions. Freeport also expanded its outreach to women, noting that several of the company’s largest mines in North America are led by women and that Freeport’s president, Kathleen Quirkin, runs the company with Adkerson.

Many village Freeport, which operates the mines at its sites, has also built more gyms, grocery stores, retail outlets and related facilities on the mine sites in recent years for workers and their families.

Freeport peer Rio Tinto Ltd ( RIO.AX )( RIO.L ) has more than 4,000 employees in Utah, where it operates the Kennecott copper mine. But Rio also aims to open the Resolution Copper mine, a massive underground operation that will require thousands of new workers, creating a recruitment challenge for the Anglo-Australian company.

“We need to strengthen partnerships with traditional schools like the universities of Utah and Arizona and Colorado (School of Mines) so that (talent is available) in the future,” Baatar said.

Report by Ernest Scheyder; Edited by David Gregorio

Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Ernest Shader

Thomson Reuters

Lithium, copper, cobalt, rare earths and other minerals, politics, politics, etc. with a focus on the future of energy and transportation, including the electric vehicle and battery technology. It previously covered oil and natural gas, including a stint living in the North. Dakota’s Bakken shale oil patch.

2023-03-09 00:25:13
Source – reuters

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