The Spanish government will allocate 182 million to the exploration of critical minerals

MadridA year later, the Spanish government has definitively approved the first action plan for the sustainable management of mineral raw materials for the period 2026-2030, linked to a public investment of 414 million euros. This plan includes, among other things, the first mineral exploration program approved in fifty years, endowed with 182 million euros, whose main objective is to search for critical minerals, such as rare earth elements, both in new deposits and in spoil heaps or existing mines in Spain, as explained by Sara Aagesen, Ecologist in Action, at a press conference this Tuesday.

The plan, which will be available starting this Wednesday, was approved in draft form in March 2025, when it was submitted for public consultation and review. In addition to the mineral exploration program, the raw materials management plan includes 33 other measures. It has a "comprehensive approach to raw materials management and is focused on identifying resource needs; recycling and circularity; raw material traceability; understanding and recovering existing resources; and ecological restoration of areas," as reported by the ministry.

Ultimately, the idea is to increase the availability of strategic materials in Spain, especially at a time when Europe, and consequently the member states, are doing everything possible to strengthen their "strategic autonomy" and try not to depend on third countries when obtaining these essential materials – today, China is the global owner and master of these resources.

But this opens the door to the return of mining, or at least its expansion, as well as to greater development of recycling. In this regard, of the €182 million allocated to the mineral exploration program, €32 million will be earmarked for utilizing waste from the extractive industry that contains these essential minerals, and approximately €150 million for mineral exploration using new technologies. However, these procedures are not without controversy, especially due to their environmental impact on the affected areas. The Ministry argues that "in recent years there has been significant progress in the modernization of mining, characterized by the implementation of more efficient processes, safer and more environmentally friendly technologies, and increased stringency in environmental standards."

Spain possesses diverse mineral raw materials, some of which are classified as critical. It stands out globally as the leading producer of roofing slate; in Europe, it is the top producer of gypsum and fluorite, the only one of sepiolite and strontium, the second largest producer of copper, magnesite, marble, and potash, and the third largest producer of tungsten. There are approximately 2,600 mines, whose production is valued at over €3.5 billion annually, according to the Ministry. The economic value of key raw materials—such as copper, fluorite, feldspar, strontium, and tungsten—exceeds €850 million.