Spain Launches Its First Systematic Mining Exploration Plan in Over 50 Years

After more than five decades without a systematic survey of mineral resources, Spain has made its move.

The Council of Ministers, on a proposal from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), has approved the 1st Action Plan 2026–2030 for the Sustainable Management of Mineral Raw Materials — a strategy backed by €414 million in public investment, designed to reinforce strategic autonomy, modernize the sector, and secure the supply of critical resources for the energy and digital transition.

A Strategic Approach to Raw Materials

The plan establishes 34 inter-departmental measures, eight of which are designated as priorities, structured around four strategic pillars:

• raw material supply autonomy


• promotion of the mining and processing industry


• circular economy


• sustainable resource management

The initiative builds on the Roadmap for the Sustainable Management of Mineral Raw Materials, approved in 2022, and puts forward a comprehensive approach covering the entire value chain: needs identification, existing resource assessment, recycling, traceability, material recovery, and ecological restoration of affected sites.

The plan is also aligned with the European Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and the 2nd Circular Economy Action Plan.

The Return of Mineral Exploration

One of the plan's priority actions is the National Mining Exploration Programme (PNEM), supported by an investment of €182 million.

The programme will enhance knowledge of the country's mineral resources through:

• advanced geological mapping


• geochemical and geophysical surveys


• drilling campaigns and field studies


• AI-supported predictive modelling

This will mark the first systematic mineral resource survey in Spain in more than five decades, since the National Mining Plan carried out between 1969 and 1970.

The contrast with that earlier effort is significant. In the 1960s and 70s, exploration was primarily focused on resources tied to a traditional industrial economy. Today, the focus shifts toward minerals critical to renewable energy, electric mobility, energy storage, digital technologies, and strategic sectors such as defense and aerospace.

Circular Economy and Resource Recovery

The plan also incorporates measures to advance the circular economy within the sector.

Key among these are:

• recovery of raw materials from extractive industry waste


• utilization of more than 1,000 existing tailings ponds and waste heaps across Spain


• recycling of raw materials from electronic equipment

These measures aim to improve resource use efficiency and reduce external dependency.

A Sector With Significant Economic Weight

Spain already holds a relevant position in mineral raw material production.

At the global level, it is the world's leading producer of roofing slate. Within Europe, it ranks as:

• the leading producer of gypsum and fluorite


• the sole producer of sepiolite and strontium


• the second-largest producer of copper, magnesite, marble, and potash


• the third-largest producer of tungsten

The country operates approximately 2,600 mining sites, supports over 30,000 jobs, and generates annual production exceeding €3.5 billion.

A Debate That Goes Beyond Mining

The strategic importance of raw materials is best understood in the current global context.

Technological rivalry is reshaping value chains linked to semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and data centers. Countries such as Brazil, for example, are beginning to position themselves as significant hubs for digital infrastructure across Latin America.

Yet even in that technological landscape, the starting point remains the same:

raw materials.

The Industry's Perspective

The development of the plan involved a range of institutional, industrial, and scientific stakeholders, including PRIMIGEA.

"The sustainable management of mineral raw materials is key to reinforcing Europe's strategic autonomy and advancing the energy and digital transition. This plan represents an opportunity to modernize the sector and strengthen the entire industrial value chain." — PRIMIGEA

The Challenge Now: Implementation

The approval of the plan opens a new phase focused on the implementation of its measures and ongoing monitoring of their development.

Its preparation involved eight ministries, regional governments, local authorities, the business sector, trade unions, the scientific community, and civil society organizations.

The true impact will depend on the capacity to translate these measures into concrete projects, investment, innovation, and industrial development.

For companies specializing in Project Management for mining and industrial projects — such as Leapman S.L. — this new strategic framework will be particularly relevant in the years ahead.

Do you believe this new plan can mark an inflection point for the mining sector in Spain and its role in European industrial value chains?