In Siberia, a copper mine hopes to become a global energy pivotThe mine is located both in a seismic zone and on permafrostUDOKAN (RUSSIA) - In 1949, a Soviet expedition in Siberia was looking for uranium to supply the national nuclear arsenal when it stumbled on a vast deposit of copper. With copper key to the world's energy transition away from carbon, the hope is it will be a boon for Russia and beyond. The price of copper, dubbed the "new black gold", soared to historic heights this year -- and shows no signs of slowing. - Logistical challenges -The BAM, which spans more than 4,000 kilometres across Siberia to the Pacific, is a grandiose Soviet project and financial abyss. Udokan Copper hopes eventually to send its cathodes and copper condensates by train to the Chinese border or Russian ports on the Sea of Japan.
