MINEX Forum

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  • Barroso Deep Dive: Why Portugal’s Savannah Resources Project Is Europe’s Most Strategically Significant — and Most Contested — Lithium Development

    Barroso Deep Dive: Why Portugal’s Savannah Resources Project Is Europe’s Most Strategically Significant — and Most Contested — Lithium Development

    Europe’s lithium supply problem is structural, not cyclical. Battery-grade lithium cannot be sourced from a spot market and delivered in weeks — it requires years of upstream development, precise mineral processing and tightly controlled chemical conversion before it reaches a cathode plant. Europe currently produces almost none of this input domestically, leaving EV manufacturers and battery gigafactories exposed to supply chains running through Australia, Chile and Chinese processing infrastructure.

    Portugal’s Barroso deposit, developed by London-listed Savannah Resources, represents the most advanced and largest-scale attempt to change that reality within European borders.

    The geological foundation

    Barroso sits within the Iberian Massif, a Variscan-age geological formation that hosts one of the world’s densest concentrations of lithium-bearing pegmatite bodies. The primary mineral at the deposit is spodumene — the commercially preferred hard-rock lithium source for battery manufacturers, whose chemical structure enables efficient conversion to lithium hydroxide monohydrate, the form most compatible with the nickel-rich NMC cathode chemistries used in high-energy-density EV batteries.

    The confirmed mineral resource stands at 39 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.05% Li₂O — Europe’s largest confirmed spodumene deposit by a substantial margin. Potential extensions of 35 to 62 million tonnes could push the total above 100 million tonnes and extend the mine life beyond 50 years. Portugal’s Atlantic coastline position adds a logistics advantage: Barroso sits within 300 kilometres of five deep-water ports, enabling concentrate delivery to processing facilities in northern Europe or North America at substantially lower cost than landlocked Central European competitors.

    The processing chain

    Run-of-mine ore passes through crushing, dense media separation and froth flotation to produce spodumene concentrate grading approximately 6% Li₂O — the product sold to downstream converters. Those converters roast the concentrate to convert alpha-spodumene to the more reactive beta form, then leach with acid to produce lithium hydroxide or carbonate. The deposit also contains recoverable feldspar and quartz for the ceramics and glass industries, providing co-product revenues that improve economic resilience during periods of price softness.

    At the DFS target of 191,000 tonnes per year of spodumene concentrate, Barroso would produce enough lithium to supply battery packs for approximately 500,000 electric vehicles annually — meaningful but not sufficient to close Europe’s structural deficit, underlining the scale of the continent’s supply challenge.

    State commitment and project milestones

    In January 2026 Portugal awarded Savannah a €110 million non-reimbursable grant — one of the largest direct fiscal contributions to a single European mining project in recent history. Non-reimbursable grants reduce capital expenditure without creating debt obligations, directly improving the project’s internal rate of return and signalling that the Portuguese state has moved from rhetorical support to material financial commitment. The project was classified as a strategic project under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act in March 2025. A final investment decision is targeted for end of 2026, with construction in 2027 and first production in late 2028.

    A decade of opposition and the June 2026 injunction

    Barroso has faced persistent community and legal opposition for close to a decade, with intensity unusual even by global mining standards. A precautionary injunction granted by the Mirandela Administrative and Fiscal Court on 9 June 2026 halted geotechnical fieldwork for three weeks, filed by the Barroso Assembly of Common Land Holders following the granting of a second administrative easement. The Portuguese government intervened by formally declaring the project of national and European strategic importance, arguing the suspension endangered the energy transition framework. The injunction was lifted on 30 June 2026, with no right of appeal available to opponents against the lifting order.

    The Barroso region holds GIAHS designation from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, recognising its Globally Important Agricultural Heritage status linked to centuries-old communal land management and agropastoral farming. This designation carries no legal veto over mining, but exposes the project to international environmental advocacy that regulatory opposition alone cannot generate. Environmental concerns centre on projected annual water consumption of up to 600,000 cubic metres and potential groundwater impacts on surrounding agricultural communities.

    The strategic supply chain case

    A significant portion of global lithium processing capacity sits within Chinese industrial infrastructure, meaning that even when raw lithium is sourced from Australia or Chile, the chemical conversion step frequently passes through Chinese facilities before reaching European battery makers. A domestic European spodumene producer at Barroso’s scale would allow European converters to establish processing relationships entirely within EU and friendly-nation supply chains — directly addressing the bloc’s stated objective of repatriating critical mineral value chains and reducing strategic exposure to third-country processing dependencies.

  • Kazakhstan Researchers Develop Carbothermic Technology to Extract Lithium From Low-Grade Aluminosilicate Ores at Double the Concentration of Conventional Methods

    Kazakhstan Researchers Develop Carbothermic Technology to Extract Lithium From Low-Grade Aluminosilicate Ores at Double the Concentration of Conventional Methods

    Researchers at Kazakhstan’s National Centre for Complex Processing of Mineral Raw Materials have developed a new technology for extracting lithium from low-grade aluminosilicate ores, achieving lithium oxide concentrate grades of 12 to 14% — approximately double the concentration achievable through conventional extraction methods.

    The process is based on carbothermic smelting, which enables effective separation of lithium from the aluminosilicate residue. A notable feature of the technology is its dual output: in addition to lithium concentrate, the process produces FS45-grade ferrosilicon as a co-product, adding commercial value to what would otherwise be process waste.

    The new approach is also described as more environmentally responsible than existing methods. By reducing the volume of aggressive sulphuric acid solutions required in processing, the technology lowers both the environmental footprint of production and the associated operating costs — addressing two of the most significant barriers to developing Kazakhstan’s aluminosilicate lithium resources at scale.

    The breakthrough was announced by the press service of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction and represents a potential pathway to utilising lithium-bearing ore bodies that have previously been considered too low-grade for economic extraction.

  • KGHM Sets 32 Billion Zloty Investment Strategy Through 2030 Targeting 730,000 Tonnes Copper and New “KGHM 2.0” Polish Mine

    KGHM Sets 32 Billion Zloty Investment Strategy Through 2030 Targeting 730,000 Tonnes Copper and New “KGHM 2.0” Polish Mine

    Polish state-controlled copper and silver producer KGHM has unveiled its Strategy 2055+ plan committing more than 32 billion zlotys ($8.55 billion) in investment through the end of the decade, with targets for copper output of 730,000 tonnes, silver production of 1,290 tonnes and average annual adjusted EBITDA of 12 billion zlotys between 2026 and 2030.

    The strategy centres on securing ore supplies closer to KGHM’s Polish smelters to reduce logistics costs, with approximately 80% of planned copper output expected to come from domestic assets. Chief Executive Remigiusz Paszkiewicz said the company plans to build a new mine in Poland dubbed “KGHM 2.0,” with an ambition to transform the group into “a modern, multi-raw material industrial group” after 2035.

    Nearly 80% of planned investment will go to the core Polish business, with the remainder allocated to overseas assets in Chile, the US and Canada. Despite the domestic focus, KGHM’s foreign operations — led by the Sierra Gorda mine in Chile, in which the company holds a 55% stake, and the Robinson mine in Nevada — generated approximately 48% of group EBITDA in 2025. Deputy Chief Executive for foreign assets Anna Sobieraj-Kozakiewicz said the company intends to grow the contribution of overseas assets over time. “We want the position of our foreign assets to grow, because this builds the company’s global credibility and resilience to structural changes,” she said.

    KGHM’s strategy coincides with its recent letter of intent with Canada’s Lumina Metals for copper concentrate supply from the Nowa Sól project in Poland, which the company views as a processing opportunity for its Glogow smelter rather than a competitive threat.

  • ACG Raises Gold Recovery at Turkey’s Gediktepe Mine to 85% With Patented Heap Leach Process While Cutting Cyanide Use by 45%

    ACG Raises Gold Recovery at Turkey’s Gediktepe Mine to 85% With Patented Heap Leach Process While Cutting Cyanide Use by 45%

    ACG has achieved a sustained improvement in gold recovery at its Gediktepe Mine in Turkey, raising commercial recovery from approximately 75% to 85% through a proprietary technical approach developed internally by the company, for which patent protection has been secured in Turkey and is progressing in 35 other countries.

    The improvement, delivered under commercial operating conditions between April 2025 and June 2026, is accompanied by a 45% reduction in cyanide consumption, reduced leach cycle times and lower overall operating costs — a combination that is contributing to stronger cash flow and improved margins on oxide ore processing.

    ACG Chairman and CEO Artem Volynets described the results as demonstrating the strength of the company’s technical team. “As we move into the sulphide ramp-up phase and copper production, disciplined process control and recovery efficiency will be key to delivering performance and optimising cash flow,” he said.

    The company expects the improvements to continue through the remaining oxide phase and intends to apply the patented process approach to sulphide and transitional ore as Gediktepe advances toward copper production. The broader applicability of the proprietary process beyond Gediktepe is also highlighted as a potential asset for the company.

  • EBRD Provides $300 Million Loan to Solidcore Resources for Kazakhstan’s First Pressure Oxidation Hydrometallurgical Plant in Pavlodar

    EBRD Provides $300 Million Loan to Solidcore Resources for Kazakhstan’s First Pressure Oxidation Hydrometallurgical Plant in Pavlodar

    The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is providing a loan of up to $300 million to Solidcore Resources and its subsidiary Ertis Hydrometallurgical Plant for the construction of a pressure oxidation hydrometallurgical complex in the Pavlodar Region of Kazakhstan — the first facility of its kind in Central Asia and a project that will establish a new metallurgical segment in the country.

    The EBRD will act as anchor lender, with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, ING Bank and Société Générale serving as co-lenders. The Ertis complex will be capable of processing up to 278,500 tonnes of gold concentrate annually, converting refractory and double-refractory gold concentrates into Doré bars — a semi-pure gold alloy — and significantly reducing Solidcore’s dependence on external processing arrangements.

    The project carries strategic importance for Kazakhstan’s mining sector, which contributes approximately 12% of GDP and around one third of all commodity exports. Refractory ores, which require more complex processing than conventional gold ores, account for approximately half of Kazakhstan’s total gold resources. The ability to process these ores domestically through pressure oxidation technology will unlock material that has previously been difficult to develop economically, boosting the country’s competitiveness and mineral supply potential.

    Pressure oxidation is described by the EBRD as one of the most resource-efficient, environmentally friendly and safe technologies in the hydrometallurgical industry. Solidcore has already tested the technology in similar projects, providing operational confidence for its application at Ertis scale. The project will also benefit from technical assistance provided by the Green Climate Fund and the EBRD to strengthen Solidcore’s corporate climate governance and ESG reporting practices beyond local regulatory requirements.

  • Poland’s Coal Waste Heaps Could Become a Strategic Rare Earth Source — If the Country Moves Fast Enough

    Poland’s Coal Waste Heaps Could Become a Strategic Rare Earth Source — If the Country Moves Fast Enough

    Poland has no proven primary deposits of rare earth elements, yet researchers at the Polish Academy of Sciences argue the country may be sitting on millions of tonnes of material that could prove just as valuable: the vast coal mine waste heaps scattered across its industrial landscape, which contain germanium, gallium, cobalt, dysprosium and other critical elements essential for semiconductors, wind turbines and defence electronics.

    Dr Łukasz Kruszewski of the Institute of Geological Sciences makes a striking claim: Poland’s greatest potential for rare earths and associated critical elements lies not in new mines but in existing coal seams and the waste left behind by decades of extraction. Lublin coal co-occurs with germanium and gallium — both critical for semiconductors — alongside cobalt. Other promising sites include the Tajno massif, copper-polymetallic deposits near Legnica in Lower Silesia, and historic uranium fields around Kowary enriched in rare earths, particularly yttrium.

    The most significant opportunity may be the hałdy — the iconic black spoil heaps of Upper Silesia. More than 200 exist, some containing tens of millions of tonnes of material. Small concentrations do not necessarily preclude economic extraction at that scale, Kruszewski argues. Methods adapted from gold leaching — using carbonate solutions that rare earths readily bind to — could extract materials with minimal disturbance. Biological extraction using bacteria is also under study at the University of Warsaw. A US example from Virginia, where researchers developed a viable recovery process for rare earths and cobalt from coal waste within two years, demonstrates how quickly innovation can close the viability gap.

    Poland is transposing the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act through draft national legislation and operates a National Critical Raw Materials Exploration Programme funded at 180 million zloty through 2032 — though rare earths sit in the programme’s third-tier priority group. By comparison, Spain’s equivalent programme is funded at over €180 million. A planned rare earth processing facility in Puławy, developed by Grupo Mkango with Grupa Azoty and designated as an EU strategic project, has operations targeted for 2027 to 2028.

    Systemic obstacles remain. Mining companies have shown limited interest in cooperation with researchers. Regional coordination within the Visegrad Group — essential given shared geological realities across borders — remains aspirational. And the window is narrowing as Western governments race to secure critical mineral supply chains and China maintains dominance across production and processing.

  • Middle Island Resources Expands Bobija Gold-Silver Discovery to 80,000m² as Phase Two Drilling Links Three Separate Zones in Serbia

    Middle Island Resources Expands Bobija Gold-Silver Discovery to 80,000m² as Phase Two Drilling Links Three Separate Zones in Serbia

    Middle Island Resources has received final assay results from phase two reverse circulation drilling at its Bobija project in Serbia, with results expanding the discovery significantly and linking three previously separate mineralised zones into a single large system covering approximately 80,000 square metres.

    The standout intersection from the programme came in hole BMLRC022, which returned 41 metres at 1.03 grams per tonne gold, 52.9 grams per tonne silver, 0.17% copper, 0.94% lead and 1.26% zinc from one metre depth. Other significant Central Zone results include BMLRC023, which returned 40 metres at 1.23 grams per tonne gold, 64.0 grams per tonne silver, 0.15% copper, 0.99% lead and 0.92% zinc from one metre, and BMLRC028, which intersected 28 metres at 1.18 grams per tonne gold, 66.6 grams per tonne silver, 0.19% copper, 1.22% lead and 1.62% zinc from 20 metres. Step-out drilling north of the historic Central Zone extended the mineralised footprint beyond previously interpreted boundaries, with BMLRC024 returning 13 metres at 1.87 grams per tonne gold, 93.2 grams per tonne silver, 0.30% copper, 1.46% lead and 0.68% zinc from three metres.

    Phase two comprised 17 holes for 1,363 metres. Mineralisation remains open to both the east and west on each cross section, with several high-grade intersections at the limits of current drilling. CEO Peter Spiers described Bobija as rapidly emerging as a major shallow gold-silver discovery. “Historic work targeted lead, zinc, and barite and largely overlooked gold, but our drilling is consistently demonstrating that gold and silver comprise a dominant part of the Bobija system,” he said.

    Phase three drilling is planned to test multiple open extensions, focusing on the northern and southern limits of the current target area and assessing continuity within and between the Central, West and North zones. The Bobija project covers 182 square kilometres across five mineral licences, with Middle Island holding a ten-year option to acquire two granted mining licences from local company Bobija doo Ljubovija.

  • Zelenskiy Presses Ireland to Speed Up Aughinish Alumina Investigation During Dublin Visit

    Zelenskiy Presses Ireland to Speed Up Aughinish Alumina Investigation During Dublin Visit

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged Ireland to complete its investigation into whether alumina exports from the Aughinish plant are contributing to Russian weapons production, pressing for a swift result during a visit to Dublin as part of the country’s rotating EU presidency.

    “We are grateful to the government that Ireland is conducting the relevant investigation. We definitely hope for a positive result for us and we really hope we won’t have to wait months for this result,” Zelenskiy said at a joint news conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin. “Every tonne of raw material that ends up in Russia is used against us,” he added.

    The Aughinish Alumina plant in southwest Ireland is Europe’s largest alumina refinery and continues to export the material to Russia despite mounting political pressure. The plant is owned by Rusal, the Russian aluminium giant. Alumina is a feedstock for aluminium production, which is used in a wide range of Russian military systems.

    The EU did not include alumina exports to Russia or reference the Irish plant in its 21st sanctions package last month. However, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas indicated that limits on Irish alumina exports to Russia could be included in future sanctions packages if unanimity among member states can be secured.

    Martin, who invited Zelenskiy to Dublin for the start of Ireland’s six-month EU Council presidency, said the investigation was nearing completion and that Dublin would discuss its findings with the European Commission once finalised. “We do not want to be in a position where material emanating from a plant in Ireland goes to support the Russian war machine,” he said, while also defending the EU’s decision to leave the plant off current sanctions packages by citing its importance to EU supply chains.

  • Ulytau Gold Processing Updates Environmental Documentation for Ashiktas Heap Leach Mine in Central Kazakhstan

    Ulytau Gold Processing Updates Environmental Documentation for Ashiktas Heap Leach Mine in Central Kazakhstan

    Ulytau Gold Processing has presented revised project documentation for the Ashiktas gold deposit in Ulytau Region at public hearings this week, with the update driven by the expiry of the current environmental permit defining the operation’s environmental impact.

    The revised project envisages reduced harmful emissions and the construction of a dedicated storage area with a waterproof liner for temporary stockpiling of spent ore for up to one year, with the accumulated technological mineral waste subsequently intended for reintroduction into the processing cycle.

    The Ashiktas processing complex was commissioned in late 2024 as a full-cycle heap leach operation producing Doré alloy. Despite the environmental documentation update, the project’s designed capacity remains unchanged: the complex is planned to process up to 1.5 million tonnes of ore per year and produce more than 1,700 kilograms of gold annually. Recoverable reserves at the deposit stand at approximately 6 tonnes of gold at an average grade of up to 1,600 grams per tonne, with full depletion expected over a nine-year mine life through to 2035.

    The company’s 2025 financial statements were not available in the depository database at time of reporting.

  • Reveille Resources Plans London’s Aquis Float to Revive Dormant Italian Uranium Deposits Abandoned After Chernoby

    Reveille Resources Plans London’s Aquis Float to Revive Dormant Italian Uranium Deposits Abandoned After Chernoby

    A company planning to mine uranium at two historical deposits in northern Italy is seeking to list on London’s small-cap Aquis exchange as soon as this week, aiming to capitalise on Europe’s renewed interest in nuclear energy and domestic critical mineral security.

    Reveille Resources, which will be operated by Ippolito Ingo Cattaneo alongside his father Andrea Cattaneo, is targeting two uranium deposits in Lombardy known as Novazza and Val Vedello, for which licence applications were submitted last year. Evidence of uranium at both locations was first identified as far back as 1912, with formal exploration beginning in the 1950s as part of Italy’s first nuclear energy programme. That exploration was suspended in the 1980s following the Chernobyl disaster, which triggered widespread public concern over nuclear energy across Europe.

    The company is now seeking to revive interest in the sites against a backdrop of European energy security concerns and growing government investment in small modular reactor technology. “Against a backdrop of increasing concerns regarding energy security and access to natural gas supplies from Russia and the Middle East, together with the growing recognition of nuclear energy as a source of low-carbon baseload electricity, European governments, including Italy, are demonstrating renewed interest in nuclear energy,” Reveille said, adding that there is increasing strategic focus on securing domestic and Western-aligned sources of critical and strategic minerals including uranium.

    The Cattaneo family is set to own approximately one-fifth of the company following its float, with other mining companies they are involved in also holding shares. New Jersey-based Yorkville Advisors Global, which has financed other energy-related companies including London-listed Fermi, is also participating. The company expects to be admitted to Aquis on Thursday.