Romania to Reopen Abandoned Mines

The Romanian Ministry of Economy announced a plan to reopen Romania’s abandoned mines. Romania could resume the exploitation of resources considered critical.

In the context of the isolation of Russia from the EU on the matter of economic trade, Romania is making efforts to ensure its energy independence.

In this situation, Romania is oriented towards its resources, especially the mineral mines. Romania is one of the few European countries with natural mineral resources, with reserves outlined by rare metals deposits.

The EU has identified 137 critical products and raw materials over the last two years. For critical metals, for example, Russia has a dominant position. EU produces less than 5% of essential matter.

Some of these critical materials are found in Romania, such as copper and magnesium. Romania has so many more natural deposits of rare metals.

Unfortunately, in the name of green energy, Romania has closed over 500 mines and quarries. For example, limestone, dolomite, and polymetallic such as copper, zinc, molybdenum, mined in Băiţa, Bihor County, are critical materials that can be used both in Romanian industries and for export, being so indispensable to the European Union.

Thus, the extraction of valuable materials such as copper, zinc, lead or graphene could be resumed. Europe and the world will use them more and more in the automotive, robotics and construction industries.

Currently, there is no concrete plan to reopen the mines due to the precarious equipment for extracting the deposits and Romania’s lack of labour force.

Although the idea of reopening the abandoned mines in Romania could have great potential to rekindle that segment of the industry that is on the verge of extinction in Romania, it could bring the country millions of dollars by exporting these resources to the EU.

Even though Romania has had this plan of reviving the mines since 2018, a National Geological Plan with an annual budget of 2 billion euros provides for prospecting for the correct determination of the rare material contents and quantities of reserves in dumps and ponds.

The question that remains is why this project isn’t implemented. If Romania has what it takes to improve its critical economy in the context of war, why is the plan of reopening the abandoned mines on standby? Green energy is the culprit again, and more and more countries realize that going green could, sometimes, mean going poor.