This time our SLO story comes from Poland, more precisely from the small city of Myszków. Namely, in the 1960s, molybdenum and tungstAen ore deposits were discovered and at the same time became a hope for potential economic growth of this city and the entire region. In particular, this topic was relevant at the beginning of the 21st century, when, in 2009, the Australian company Strzelecki Metals Limited conducted research and confirmed the composition of the ore and estimated the value of the deposit. However, the mine construction project was not realized due to concerns that excessive commercial and industrial growth without providing adequate space for the mining facility, would hinder its future development.
After 16 years, in 2025, Myszków is facing the same issue, but this time the initiative is taken by a local joint-stock company with 90% Polish and 10% American capital, confident that it has the skills and tools to conduct new, comprehensive research at the previously mentioned site. Altum Group, with 51% of the shares in this company, has many years of infrastructure and energetics projects behind it, and also has experience in managing projects of strategic importance. This is particularly important considering the tungsten as a critical raw material (CRM) according to the European Commission (Critical Raw Materials act). Thus, both metals are indispensable and irreplaceable components in the metallurgy and electronics industry due to their physical properties such as high melting points, strength and density.
In addition to the reported potential for the economic and industrial progress of Poland and the entire European Union, the question arises whether the research will achieve a Social License to Operate or will it encounter insurmountable obstacles. Although the story of the opening of the mine is still a long way off, there is concern as to whether the project will be implemented in accordance with the highest economic standards and modern mining technologies.
We are sure Poland will find the best balance when weighing the readiness of the investors to respect environmental protection standards and the potential great role of these deposits in European sustainability in critical raw material chains.
