mining

Working mining is still deadly in Spain

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Gray day for Spanish mining. Bit before nine In the morning the Cerredo mine, in southern Asturias, registered an explosion that has left five deaths and four serious injuries. The first hypotheses point to Grisú gasbut beyond (dramatic) balance of victims or what have been the concrete causes of the tragedy, what happened in Asturias reminds us of something: in the middle of 2025 mining continues to support one of the Worst data of labor mortality of the country if the size of its workforce is taken into account. The big question is: how is it possible? What happened? That Spanish mining starts April. First thing in the morning the Cerredo mine, in the Council of Degaña, to the south of Asturias, registered an accident that resulted in five dead and four injured, two with serious burns and a third with a craniocerebral trauma. Two other workers have resulted unharmed. All the deceased are from the neighboring province of León and, according to The data that has been publishing the Government Delegation in Asturias, were between 32 and 54 years. Click on the image to go to Tweet. What was the cause? The counselor of Ecological Transition of Asturias, Belamina Díaz, He has warned “It will take time to find out the causes”, but that does not mean that hypotheses are already handled. The main one is that the explosion that ended the life of the five miners and wounded another four is related to A Bag of Grisúa gas that is generated in the Hulla mines, is mainly composed of methane (more than 90%) and becomes flammable when mixing with the air, which can lead to violent deflagrations. “We are going to wait to see what has happened”, He pointed out This morning Belarmina Díaz while the Police and Ministry personnel inspected the area. The Government delegate, Adriana Lastra, has even gone further to regret That “again” El Grisú advises “a bars.” Two of the employees who were in the area managed to leave unharmed after The explosion of a machine with which they worked several meters deep, at the third level of the mine. Is it something new? If it is confirmed that the accident is related to Grisú, no. In October 2013 An escape from the same gas almost 700 meters deep cost the life of six miners who were slaughtered in the Pozo Emilio del Valle, in Pola de Gordón, León. On that occasion the Grisú Bag opened without any explosion, but the escape was so “sudden”, according to explained the company itselfthat the workers could not place the masks or flee. The Grisú was also behind the one that is still considered the worst mining accident of Asturias, the one suffered in Nicolasa in August 1995. On that occasion the gas caused a violent explosion that took the life of 14 people ahead. Even more dramatic was the deflagration that hit a mine from northern Turkey in October 2022leaving a balance of more than 40 dead and a trail of injured. On other occasions the victims cause them landslides of tunnels and entrapments, as already happened in Degaña A decade ago. Activity Total accidents Incidence index (mortals) Extractive industries 6 27.67 Transport and storage 138 12.60 Energy supply 4 10.01 Agriculture, Livestock, Silviculture and Fisheries 69 9.73 Construction 135 9.61 Are accidents common? Events such as Cerredo serve to remember a sad reality of Spanish mining: their High accident rate. Not in absolute terms, but if we talk about the relative mortality rate, which relates the incidence of accidents with fatal victims and the number of workers. In that case, extractive industries leave the worst result, much higher than that registered by other sectors, such as transport, storage or electricity supply. What supposes that in data? The balance of provisional labor accidents of 2024 published by the Ministry of Labor show a clear example. Last year the extractive industries left a balance of 1,220 accidents throughout the working day that left six dead. They are not many if compared to the 41,132 claims and 138 deaths registered in the transport and storage sector, but the photo changes if the “incidence index” is analyzed, which also takes into account the number of employees. After all, in 2021 there were less than 30,000 workers in the extractive industry, in front of more than 700,000 in transport and storage, according to the statista portal. If this factor is taken into account, mining presents the worst mortality rate, with an incidence of 27.67 per 100,000 employees. Far from 12.6 of transport. At the general level, only construction exceeds the incidence of accidents of the extractive industries, although in its case the mortality index is much lower: in 2024 it stood at 9.61. Has it always been like this? In general, mining takes time with a level of incidence of high fatal accidents, although the data can range from one exercise to another depending on the number of events. After all, that in the sector there are much less people than in transport, construction or storage assumes that a misfortune like that occurred this morning in Asturias alters the curve. The country has examined The historical series since 2006 and the conclusion is clear: although the rate with which mining closed 2024 (27.7) is higher than that of other sectors is far from those that the guild supported years ago. In 2023 that incidence was 45.4 and in 2013 it even reached 52.19 dead per 100,000 employed. The reason is the accident recorded in the Emilio del Valle well, a sinister that resulted in half a dozen deaths. What are the causes? A question similar to that was asked A few years ago A group of researchers from the Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) University, especially if you take into account the drop in activity in mining and the application of measures aimed precisely to prevent accidents. One of the keys they found was the lack of generational relief in … Read more

The EU has opted her mining independence in front of China to the most unsuspected site: Extremadura

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Extremadura recently jumped into the media by four potential rare earth deposits. Although this is a thesis at the moment without practical application, the community presents other equally valuable elements that have made the European union put their eyes on it. A valuable source. The European Commission has launched A package of 47 strategic projects, among which seven are located in Spain and three in Extremadura. This initiative is aimed at ensuring the supply of essential raw materials for the European industry, such as Lithium, Nickel and Wolframio, and avoid dependence on countries like China. The EU support for extraction in these deposits will be 22,000 million euros. The Extremadura mines. The deposits that will receive European funds are the mines of Aguablanca, Las Navas and La Parrilla. Besides. The companies at the head of these initiatives will be: Lithium Iberia, Río Narcea and P6 Metals. In particular, the Navas project will receive an investment of more than 500 million euros, According to ABCand it is one of the most ambitious farms on the continent that will have the support of electric vehicle belonging. The lithium mine of Cáceres has been out of aid Due to the local dispute on the impact of extraction on the population. As they collect in Digital Extremaduraantiminas groups like Ama Cáceres and save the mountain of Cáceres have considered that it is a victory. Two of them reopen. On the one hand, the Aguablanca mine, located south of the province of Badajoz, is the only Nickel site in all of Europe. As detailed by the countryit was closed for ten years due to the fall in nickel prices and copper. Its reopening is important for the European Union, given the growing demand for this metal for the battery industry. On the other hand, the grill mine, in Cáceres, which houses the largest Wolframium site in Europe. Although his activity was suspended in 1986, he resumed in 2019 with the exploitation of dumps. Currently, the Wolframium appears on the list of EU critical raw materials. Controversy. According to eldiario.esin the mining projects of Extremadura, entrepreneurs and financial would be involved such as Alejandro Ayala, known for its connection to Civitas and Atlético de Madrid, Enrique Martinavarro, related to the Horteofrusco sector and the venture capital, in addition to Miguel Rodríguez, owner of Festina. These entrepreneurs, together with the investment of funds such as Blackrock, would carry out the projects. The distribution of the funds. The European Union (EU) seeks with these funds to ensure its critical raw materials for the development of new technologies and reduce its dependence with external suppliers, such as China, As reported by Euronews. In addition, the commission has warned in the statement that it cannot allow lithium and other elements to become a new source of vulnerability, similar to what happened with Russian gas. Image | Unspash and Flickr Xataka | The great paradox: while Andalusia and Extremadura fight against floods, the water system prepares for the next drought

This is how Andalusia is becoming a strategic mining hub

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If you wonder how your mobile is done and what elements are used for it, I can tell you that they use a common mineral with the computer screen, solar panels and even magnets. This element is making the province of Granada a strategic hub of Strontium. Short. Granada is charging a very large prominence in the mining sector of essential minerals for Europe. As The Granada medium has advanced Idealin the province, Celestina deposits (strontium sulfate) and fluorite have been found. In fact, the Andalusian province has covered 35% of the world production of strontium. The extraction. Both necessary elements in the world of technology, chemistry and renewable energies are found in different mines. On the one hand, Celestina is obtained through two active mines: the listen mine, operated by the German multinational Kandelium mineralsand the Montevive mine, at the intersection of the Gabias, Alhendín and La Malahá, exploited by CANTERAS INDUSTRIALES SL. On the other hand, the fluorite is extracted in the Alpujarra Granada, in the Minera de Órgiva SL. Without impact. The approach to perform the extractions are being made of a sustainable mining approach, especially in the Montevive mine. In this type of deposits the dumps are used and no blasting is used. In addition, the Government of Spain has announced Plans to finance the search for strategic minerals with 400 million euros of the recovery, transformation and resilience plan, also supporting sustainable mining. More in depth. Sustainable mining It consists of balance the protection of the environment and the well -being of local communities. In Spain, projects such as Granada and other regions are adopting the use of the aforementioned dumps, that is, the reuse of excess material in mining extraction. Also, the reduction of explosive use and Implementation of technologies that minimize the environmental impact. The only one in Spain? And the only one in Europe that Celestina obtains. However, Andalusia concentrates about 90% of national metal mining production, highlighting the extraction of metals such as copper, zinc and lead. However, this is not like that, because in the rest of Spain other important minerals such as rare lands are also extracted, we have already seen the different cases of Ciudad Real either Estremaduraalthough there are many more. Also, Rubidio and Lithium In the province of Salamanca. Or the case of the Spanish potassa, which He has resurfaced Spanish mining. Finally, although still paralyzed, Underwater mining of the Canary Islands. Together, Spain is a country with a great mining capacity in this new technological era. Forecasts. Granada has aspirations to become a strategic point for Europe. The revaluation of resources in a context of global energy transition and Geopolitical conflicts They make the Andalusian province thanks to copper, strontium and fluorite. Image | Pexels Xataka | Spain, with a treasure under his feet: how his mining potential makes him a key pawn from the EU in front of China

illegal gold mining

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2025 is being a disastrous year for coffee lovers And also of chocolate. The two products have lived a Price climbing almost unprecedented in recent months due to Common problems as the difficulties in the supply chain due to transport and bad harvests for weather. But if we put the magnifying glass on cocoa, we must talk about another problem that threatens the industry and that will cause huge increases in the price of chocolate. And that problem is illegal gold mining, a new “gold fever” that is being lived in the main cocoa producing countries. Galamsey. Ghana is the second country that produces the most cocoa. The first is Ivory Coast, but although cocoa continues to move millions, there is something that attracts attention: only the last year, Ghana lost 20% of its total cocoa production. As we say, this joined bad harvests for diseases in plants and climate change, but the result is the same: a crisis in the price of chocolate. The theory tells us that, if cocoa is worth more, farmers should be benefiting (especially with a cocoa that surpassed The $ 10,000 per ton in the New York Stock Exchange), right? Well, the truth is that it is not so simple and, in addition, these farmers have seen a more profitable business: underbound gold. So much that there are many that are going on to that practice that already has a name: Galamsey. Corruption. This is how farmers are spreading for a new gold fever that is much more lucrative than cocoa consumption. The motivation is that the price of gold is rising, but the big problem is that, as we said, it is an illegal mining, in which the land is exploited without regulation and without measure. In Financial Times We can see how there are dramatic cases of farmers who, after working for years in foreign lands, gathered enough money to rent their own land and start a cocoa plantation. When he arrived to start working the land, he realized that he had been invaded by illegal miners, leaving the land totally unusable. From the government it has promised to harden the fight against this galamsey, but there is a problem: a system in which institutional corruption is deeply Enquistada and that it will make it complicated that you fight against something so lucrative. ECOCIDIDE. The problem goes beyond crops, since professionals from other sectors are abandoning their jobs in search of gold. Kwabena Samuel was a carpenter until she became illegal miner, stating that it was not easy to leave her profession for this, but that it was “a matter of survival.” Apart from the social consequences, this illegal mining is damaging the earth. Different associations and organizations have denounced that the miners devastate extensive cultivation areas with heavy machinery and that once they reach a farm, both the earth and the water sources are useless due to the intensive use of chemical products. Last year, the state water supply company cut Up to 75% distribution in certain areas due to unsustainable levels of contamination. Illegal gold mining is not exclusive to Africa. So are some areas of Peru From Ghana to the chocolate tablet. And the production drop is already palpating. In the United States and during the last year, chocolate in retailers increase 10% its price. It is something that is being felt throughout the world (The Christmas nougat already experienced it). And manufacturers like Lindt (which had already increased its price more than 6.3% at the end of 2024) or Nestlé have already warned that the price will continue to rise for 2025. Ivory coast, heat that you go out. Something that makes this an even more serious problem than is already (both economic and pollution) is that it does not directly concern Ghana. Ivory coast is also threatened by this illegal gold mining and there are already estimates that suggest that, in the face of 2050, more than 50% of cocoa culture lands could be lost in the country due to that mining, diseases in plantations and climate change. Chrysistunity. And where there is a crisis, an opportunity also opens. In this case, who can get something good from the problem is Ecuador. The estimates They suggest that the Latin American country would advance Ghana on the right as the second largest cocoa producer. It would not be something in the long term, but in the future as immediate as 2027, causing Ecuador to become an even bigger player in the cocoa world and joining strength with its powerful coffee industry. Only time will say what to do, but, although it is true that fighting climate change is difficult If we do not agreefighting illegal gold mining should be easier. The problem is that it is tremendously lucrative and that, as these reports point out, at the time there are higher political interests, the task is complicated. And all that is going to translate into shortage, more expensive chocolate and land contaminated by decades. Images | Lady Castro, Das Morton, Planet Labs, inc In Xataka | A chocolate bar stuffed with pistachio has become the most desired viral in Tiktok: Dubai’s “chocolate”

The rare earth war has arrived in Spain. And it is in Ciudad Real where mining and ecology are confronted

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If there is an resource that dominates the geopolitical panorama of today, that is that of the Rare earth. Are essential for many technological fields among which are electric vehiclessystem elements renewable energies and the technological world in general, and China dominates both its mining and its production. The rest of the world seeks a new ‘El Dorado’ of Rare Earth to be able to exploit, and it turns out that In Spain there is a very sweet site. It is in Ciudad Real, but it will not be so easy to extract its resources. I have land (rare). In Spain it is estimated that there are several rare earth deposits. Mount Galiñeiro in Galicia is one of them, In Gran Canaria It is also estimated that there are large quantities, in Cádiz and Almería there are also deposits and more of the same Between Salamanca and Zamora. Another important site is in the field of Montiel, in Ciudad Real, and something that practically everyone has in common is that their extraction seems complicated. Not so much because of the technical issue (extracting rare earths is not a problem, neither does its production), but by the environmental counterpart. It is a potentially polluting activity that is very regular in Europe (that is why China was doing with all the control) and that meets an added inconvenience: Spanish deposits are usually close to environmental areas of interest. Matamulas. Although in recent years it has been evidenced that rare earths are a Throwing weapon on the world geopolitical stageit really has been looking for the independence of China for years. In 2015, the Spanish company Quantum Mining It started to study the land in the Manchega region of Campo de Montiel, where municipalities such as Valdepeñas or Torrenueva are located. In general, the area of ​​mules, matamulas and auctione. It is Torrenueva the town that is right next to the great mining site that sought to exploit Quantum Mining And that, according to his studies, he is up to Monacita. Under this term we have elements and minerals such as Cerio, Neodimio, Torio or Lantano and is not very common in Europe. To the load. In a recent one video (Although, as we say, this comes from long), Quantum Mineria affirms that the production of Montiel’s Camp Build 350,000 electric cars or 10,000 wind generators. There is a problem: those rare earths are under large extensions of cultivation, mainly cereal. The company’s plan is to temporarily remove the half -meter vegetation layer that, they affirm, will carefully retain, once the mining process is over, restore it and leave it as it was. The backhoes remove the layer of land containing the monacite and all this takes to a plant in which the interesting thing is signed of what does not. This is done without using polluting chemicals and, once the monacite is on the one hand and the earth without interest on another, return it to the ground and place the previously removed crop. The machinery works by sectors of one hectare, without interrupting adjacent agriculture and claim that, once the land is restored, it can be re -cultivated “in better conditions than the originals.” Criticism. They complement their allegation by stating that they would create industry, help repopulate the area, attract jobs and encourage conditions for traditional agricultural and livestock activities. It is not something that has convinced neighbors or environmental organizations. In 2016, Ecologists in Action alleged that the environmental impact on the 27,500 hectares in which it was projected to work would be severe. Worry. Among other issues, water worried. From the organization, they affirmed that between 310,000 and 500,000 cubic meters of water a year, which would have to multiply for ten years of mining activity to cover all the estimated hectares. It was not logical in a region in which the problems of water supply in droughts are not rare, with overexploited aquifers and an intense agricultural activity of the economy in the area. Brake. To this we must add that in the area there are two Zepas (Areas of special protection for birds) and is a place of presence of the lynx. With all this in mind, and after two years of social struggle, the CLM government gave folder to the matter in 2017. Load return. In recent years, in different forums it has been followed defending The suitability of the area as a strategic enclave so that Spain – and Europe – stop depending both on the importation of strange earth elements of China, arguing that it is key to decarbonization and energy transition, but also defending the environmental respect of the activity. It was at the beginning of 2024 when Quantum Mining He returned To request permits to carry out a research project to quantify the amount of rare earths in the Montiel field, referring to the “high risk of supply interruptions” due to China’s strategic movements of the previous months. Quantum affirms that his process is respectful of existing crops Abandoned mines. Given this new attempt, environmentalist in action reacted again, but also proposed a solution. Joan Evans, responsible for mining in the organization, pointed out that the abandoned mines that are already in Spain could be exploited again, in whose dump there are “very important quantities” of rare earths. Before the resurgence of Quantum, both neighbors and the Diputación de Ciudad Real and the Platform ‘Yes to living earth‘They returned to oppose to the granting of permits. Given this new rejection, Javier Merino, president of Quantum Mining, affirmed that its activity would be “totally compatible with the traditional activities of the area” and that the rejection climate is due to the propagation of “false news with photographs of mining farms that have nothing to do with our project.” “The most ecological in the world”. As a support for the activities of Quantum, the Secretary General of Primigea -the Spanish Confederation of the Mineral Raw Materials Industries – affirmed Recently that “a … Read more

How its mining potential makes it a key pawn in the EU in front of China

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Surely if you hear about lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, graphite or rare earth you know that they are currently the minerals and metals that dominate the market for their use in current technologies. In fact, here we have talked about all of them and, above all, of the dependence we have about China. But all that can change, because Spain has a treasure in its feet. A gold mine. Eye, what too, but It is not open yet. The point is that in the Spanish subsoil There are great critical mineral reservations Essential for the energy and digital transition, especially for the manufacture of batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and other resources. In this way, the role of Europe and Spain is redefined in the production of these minerals and a strategic autonomy in the European Union is ensured. In data. To be able to better understand how much we are talking, let’s go with The data. 17% of copper extracted in the EU comes from Spain, as well as 12% of zinc and 6% of lead. In addition, the Iberian country is the first European producer of fluoride and plaster, and the only one in Sepiolita and Celestina. As for Magnesita, the country contributes 24% of EU production, standing only behind Austria and Slovakia. In the case of Potassa, Spain generates 12% of the total European, complementing 88% produced by Germany. Mining in Spain. The mining tradition in the Iberian Peninsula comes from many years, we would have to go back to Roman empire. However, here we are going to talk about Spain and the mines, and of a more recent period of time, where mining has been in decline due to the outsourcing of the activity, but now it has resurfaced again. In addition, the Spanish nation has been reinforcing its mining industry with investments in the aforementioned minerals. As well as through regulatory measures such as National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) and the Roadmap for sustainable management of mineral raw materials. The ‘golden’ province. If there is a province where metal mining is most concentrated, winning the title of “El Dorado” is undoubtedly Andalusia. The Autonomous Community It concentrates 90% of the value of national production In this sector. In recent years, mining companies have seen in the more than 257,000 hectares, an area to begin exploring and exploiting the mineral resources of the region. For years the research permits had been inactive, but the Junta de Andalucía has now facilitated its reactivation causing the south of the nation to be attractive again in a global context where metals are increasingly demanded. However, this activity raises questions about the balance between industrial development and the preservation of the environment, especially in sensitive areas such as Doñana National Park. In a more global context. The European Commission has identified more than thirty critical raw materials, of which 17 are strategic for the energy transition, due to its cost and the high risk involved in its interruption. Currently, much of these matters They are concentrated in countries like Chinathat controls 90% of the rare earth, and the Congo, main cobalt supplier. According to the report Mining for Climate: Decarbonisation Roadmap and Energy Outlook From Euromines, the European Union must intensify its efforts to achieve climatic objectives and guarantee its strategic autonomy, reducing the dependence of powers such as China and the United States in access to these critical resources. Other mining methods. The rise of mining has strengthened the economy and generated jobs. However, we know the environmental challenges that also pose this type of extractivist practices, such as soil degradation, Water consumption and the loss of biodiversity. For these reasons, there are other methods to obtain the necessary resources to develop current technologies, such as recycling batteries, Solar panels and Other electronic devices. Forecasts In this geopolitical board in which mineral resources has become, Spain is positioned as a key pawn for the EU in need of reducing dependence with China. However, it remains to be seen how its mining strategy raises to supply the European market, but always taking into account the care for the land. Image | Unspash Xataka | The US will reopen an antimony mine that had been closed for 30 years. It is a response to the coup received by China

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