The Colombian Mining Association (ACM) revealed the results of its member companies during 2022 and the projections for the new year, in which a investment of more than 14 billion pesos in the national industry.
According to the report, mining is one of the engines that will keep the Colombian economy moving in 2023, after the encouraging results in 2022 with advances in the production of gold, coal, nickel and cement, with historical records in the collection of royalties used for projects in the regions.
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Regarding royalties, by the end of 2022, mining companies made historic contributions for more than 6.13 trillion pesosthe figure of 1.9 trillion pesos that was paid during 2021 tripled.
In this sense, the union also reported that in the last four years the industry has generated purchases of goods and services for more than 45.5 billion pesos, resources that have been key to strengthening the business fabric throughout the country.
«What we are seeing is the positive behavior of a sector that has become key not only for the energy transitionbut rather for the promotion of the regional economies of the country with businesses that are reflected in other industries that also participate in this ecosystem generated by mining,” said Juan Camilo Nariño, president of the ACM.
According to figures presented by the sector, the businesses of the mining industry represented 34 percent of the country’s external sales in 2022. 22.155 million dollars were exportedan increase of 65.5 percent compared to 13,382 million dollars in 2021.
«Growth of 4 percent in the mining GDP is expected and an increase in the share of the National GDP of up to 3 percent,» said the president of the ACM.
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More coal, gold and nickel production
According to the calculations presented by the ACM, based on data from the National Mining Agency and the Dane, in 2022 65.3 million tons of coal were produced, a 10 percent.
This figure reflects the recovery that this sector has been registeringAfter the arrival of the covid-19 pandemic, production fell to 49.3 million tons and then it went to 59.3 million in 2021.
It is also highlighted that the European market increased its participation in the Colombian coal purchasesgoing from 18 percent in 2021 to 25 percent in 2022. Asia and America will continue to be the main buyers of this mineral.
The ACM also reported that industrial gold production was 625,000 ounces, which places this industry with a participation of 40 percent of the national total, which reached 1.55 million ounces. The main destination for Colombian gold exports continues to be America, although the Asian continent is gaining more and more space.
As for nickel, a mineral commonly used in alloys with other metals, its production increased by 7 percent in 2022, reaching 41,000 tons. «Nickel production increases in the country thanks to the completion of maintenance works and the expansion of new work fronts in Cerro Matoso,» said Juan Camilo Nariño.
Cement at historical highs
Cement production ended 2022 at record highs, with 14.6 million tons, compared to 13.8 million tons the previous year. These figures reflect the reactivation of the local economy, which boosted construction throughout the country and, in the same sense, the demand for non-metallic minerals.
«We must reiterate the leading position that the mining industry represents in the development of the country, with a view to challenging world macroeconomic prospects in 2023. However, this sector is already future It is configured as an opportunity to keep Colombian economic development thriving«said the president of the ACM.
