Critical raw materials, only two are extracted in Italy (out of 34).Here is the complete map of the deposits

The updated ISPRA database speaks of 76 active mines on the national territory

There are only two, out of a total of 34, critical raw materials which are extracted in Italy.This is what emerges from the new one database on mineral resources drawn up by ISPRA, the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research.Based on surveys conducted in recent months, there are 76 active mines in Italy.Of these, twenty-two extract at least one of the raw materials classified as "critical" by the European Union, in the sense that their demand (but also their value) is destined to grow in the coming years to support the efforts of the ecological and digital transition.

Feldspar and fluorite

The two raw materials that are extracted in Italy today are:feldspar, an essential mineral for the ceramic industry for which twenty mines are active;and fluorspar, which ends up in the steel, aluminum, glass, electronics and refrigeration industries.As regards fluorspar, in the past Italy could count on 91 active mines on the national territory.Today only two remain, but there are some abandoned areas - in particular in the Bergamo, Brescia and Trentino areas - which Ispra classifies as "to be reevaluated".Especially in light of current prices, which have quadrupled compared to 1990.

The other critical raw materials sought in Italy

According to Ispra, beyond feldspar and fluorite, the Italian subsoil could also hide many other "critical raw materials".Some research, for example, has demonstrated the presence of important quantities of lithium in geothermal fluids between Tuscany and Lazio.Some deposits of copper, an essential mineral for all modern technological devices, are already known in the metalliferous hills, in the Ligurian-Emilian Apennines, in the Western Alps, in Trentino and in Sardinia.In
Liguria and Tuscany it is possible to extract manganese, while the presence of tungsten is documented
especially in Calabria, in the Cosenza and Reggio areas, and in Sardinia.Cobalt is also present in Sardinia, as well as in Piedmont, where the Punta Corna deposit is considered of strategic importance for the European Union.Then there are rare earths, used in the electric motors of wind turbines and battery-powered cars, which are certainly contained within some fluorite deposits.

The reopening of the mines

The results of the Ispra mapping provide an indispensable framework for Italy to develop a national mining program for the extraction of critical raw materials.Interest in this sector is increasing exponentially all over the world, with European countries - but not only them - running for cover to guarantee a level of supply high enough to be able to carry out the ecological and digital transition smoothly or setbacks.To deal with this situation, the European Union approved the Critical Raw Materials Act.A measure that essentially focuses on two paths:on the one hand, make agreements with third countries to import the critical raw materials it needs;on the other, to encourage research into these materials even within European borders.

The problem of (old) waste and the importance of recycling

While we await the government's plan for the race for critical raw materials, Italy still has to deal with approximately 150 million cubic meters of extractive waste from now abandoned mines.These manufacturing wastes are found in often dilapidated storage facilities and represent a serious environmental problem.And this is why Ispra recommends opting for a strategy that aims not only to reopen the mines but also to recover waste and exploit the Italian recycling chain.According to the Italian government's estimates, in 2040 recycling could satisfy almost a third of Italy's needs for critical raw materials.