LatAm Grid & Ground: Weekly Newsflow: Storage, Thermal Energy, Biofuels, Critical Minerals, El Niño

Research evidence excerpt

LatAm Grid & Ground: Weekly Newsflow: Storage, Thermal Energy, Biofuels, Critical Minerals, El Niño

na’s Pampa Energía confirmed plans to invest US$2.7 bn

in a new urea plant in Bahía Blanca, with expected annual production of 2.1 mn tons

by the end of 2029. The company sees Brazil as its main export market, given the

country’s significant dependence on imported urea, estimated at 7-8 mn tons per

year. The project marks Pampa’s entry into the fertilizer sector and will leverage

natural gas from Vaca Muerta, highlighting growing regional efforts to expand

fertilizer supply amid concerns over import dependence, geopolitical risks, and

agricultural input security.

Climate action delivers financial returns for corporates

Valor published that companies have generated between US$80 bn and US$94 bn in

savings since 2024 through emissions-reduction and environmental risk

management initiatives, according to a new CDP report. The gains were driven

primarily by energy efficiency, waste reduction, and material reuse, reinforcing the

growing view that climate action is increasingly a source of financial value rather

than solely a compliance requirement. The study also found that, globally, every US

$1 invested in climate adaptation can generate up to US$10 in returns, while

warning that unmanaged climate, water, and forest-related risks could result in

trillion-dollar losses globally over the coming decades.

Atlas Critical Minerals advances Graphite exploration in Minas Gerais

Folha reported that Atlas Critical Minerals intersected graphite in all 20 drill holes

completed in its inaugural drilling campaign in Brazil’s Jequitinhonha Valley,

reinforcing the potential of the project as a source of critical minerals for the

energy transition.