ISPRA: the search for critical and strategic raw material sites begins in Italy

ISPRA launches the search for critical and strategic raw materials for the transition on Italian territory. There are 14 research projects included in the National Mineral Exploration Program approved by the Interministerial Committee for Ecological Transition (CITE), distributed throughout the country, in key regions such as Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino-Alto Adige, Liguria, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Calabria, Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Sardinia, to which is added the national mapping of mining waste deposits envisaged by the PNRR URBES project .

The program, whose implementation was entrusted by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy (MIMIT) to the Geological Service of Italy of ISPRA , involves 15 operational units and over 400 specialists, with an investment of 3.5 million euros dedicated to the first phase of investigation of natural deposits.

The approval of the PNE marks a strategic return for Italy to the valorization of its mineral resources, in a modern, sustainable perspective and in line with European priorities. The objective is to build an updated picture of the national mineral potential , integrating historical information with a new exploration campaign, more than 30 years after the last public investment in the sector. The program also aims to provide preliminary indications to Italian and foreign investors on the availability of raw materials present in the country.

“Critical raw materials are fundamental for Europe’s industrial future and for security of supply,” said Gilberto Pichetto , Minister of the Environment and Energy Security. “With the National Exploration Program, Italy is equipping itself with a modern and transparent tool to understand and enhance its mineral potential, while fully respecting the environment. It is a strategic step towards a more autonomous, resilient and sustainable economy.”

The investigation activities will focus on the most promising areas, selected by a team of experts among the top Italian mineral deposit specialists. The focus will be on numerous critical and strategic raw materials identified by the European Commission, including lithium, boron, graphite, copper, manganese, fluorite, barite, feldspar, antimony, tungsten, titanium, bismuth, arsenic, magnesium, rare earths and platinum group metals.

“The National Exploration Program drawn up by ISPRA, part of the Critical Raw Materials Decree converted into law, represents a fundamental step to relaunch the Italian mining sector and contribute concretely to the industrial and energy sovereignty of the country” declared Adolfo Urso , Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy. “There is no decarbonization, innovation and industrial future without secure access to these resources. We are working to build a more autonomous, competitive and leading Italy in Europe and in the world”.

The exploration focuses will concern almost all the macro-geographic areas of the country, concentrating in particular on territories already known for their mining potential or for the presence of favorable geological formations. In all the areas under investigation, the deposits of abandoned mining waste will also be mapped and characterized, as part of the PNRR URBES Project, which contributes to the definition of an updated national framework on environmental liabilities related to past mining activities and financed with 10 million euros .

During the first exploration phase, only non-invasive investigations will be conducted, including the analysis of remote sensing images , geological , geochemical and geophysical surveys, also through the use of airborne sensors. Advanced technologies such as muon radiography, based on the use of cosmic particles, and the use of artificial intelligence software for the processing and integration of acquired data will also be tested. Any direct exploratory surveys will be planned, where necessary, only in the subsequent phases (phase 2 and phase 3), and in any case subject to appropriate environmental assessments.

All the data collected will flow into the GeMMA National Mining Database , developed within the framework of the GeoSciencesIR project of the PNRR, with the aim of making the information available in a structured, transparent and consultable way for the scientific world, institutions and potential investors.

“With the National Exploration Program and the URBES project, ISPRA, in its dual role as the Geological Survey of Italy and the Institute for the Guarantee of Environmental Protection, is taking a first step towards the reconstruction of a complex national mining apparatus oriented towards sustainability, as part of an integrated strategy for the supply of critical raw materials, necessary for the European model of decarbonized and digitalized development” concluded Maria Siclari , Director General of ISPRA.