Lincei, the critical raw materials crucial for Italy

Recycling , innovation and sustainable extraction of national resources: this is the strategy that Italy should follow for critical raw materials , such as lithium , rare earths and copper . This is indicated in the position paper developed by the Accademia dei Lincei, at the end of the discussion promoted on 22 and 23 May on this topic and organized with the Italian Chemical Society, the National Research Council, the Italian Association of Chemical Engineering, the National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology, and Confindustria energia. Italian competitiveness in the energy transition , the document states, requires "a systemic approach capable of accelerating the exploration and sustainable extraction of national resources", the document states, which indicates Sardinia , Tuscany , Lazio , Liguria , Campania and the Alpine area among the most interesting regions for these resources. It is also important, it continues, "to strengthen leadership and enhance the national circular supply chain (recycling/urban mining), invest in innovation and accelerate research on substitution and advanced recycling". According to the experts, it is also necessary to define "an industrial strategy that integrates critical raw materials and energy transition" and to create "a national supply chain , supported by integrated governance between industry , research and institutions and by public-private partnerships ". Renewable energy , electronics , aerospace , defense and sustainable mobility are the sectors for which critical raw materials are essential. The availability of the latter is therefore "a problem of growing strategic importance at a global level and, in particular, for Italy and the European Union", the document notes. One of the greatest risks, it is noted, is supply and for Italy the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (Pniec) and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Pnrr) provide specific actions both for recovery, recycling, development of materials and products with low content of critical raw materials, and for geo-mining monitoring. "The mining potential for primary resources of critical raw materials in Italy is often considered modest, but fundamentally it is still all to be discovered ", the document states. " Mining and exploration activities were interrupted 30 years ago just when the strategic importance of metals and minerals that had until then been considered of little importance was emerging". There are currently no active metal mines and mineral exploration is necessary , it is noted. Istat data indicate approximately 3,500 sites distributed throughout Italy, only 126 of which are mines. Of these, 76 are active and 22 extract critical raw materials, especially feldspar and fluorite. Recent studies (conducted by Ispra, Enea and Cnr indicate "non-negligible mining potential" for fluorite and barite (Sardinia, Lazio and the Alps), lithium (Tuscany-Lazio Campana geothermal area), titanium (Liguria), copper, tungsten and rare earths (Sardinia and eastern Alps), magnesium (Tuscany and the Alps) and antimony (Tuscany).