Tungsten as a resource
Tungsten in today’s world
Tungsten is an essential material for the functioning of the contemporary economy. Its physical properties, such as high strength, durability, and stability under extreme conditions, make it indispensable across multiple areas of everyday life and industry.
It is used in medical equipment, digital technologies, energy systems, manufacturing, electric mobility, and solutions associated with the energy transition. It is also fundamental to precision tools and to the infrastructures that support modern production chains.
A strategic issue
In a global context marked by geopolitical tensions, accelerated technological growth, and the need to reduce excessive dependencies, stable access to this material has become a strategic issue for many countries and regions. Its responsible development supports innovation, skilled employment, and sustained economic growth.
EU & Raw Materials
The European Union has approved the Regulation on Critical Raw Materials, known as the Critical Raw Materials Act, Regulation (EU) 2024/1252.
Its objective is to ensure a stable and sustainable supply of raw materials that are essential for sectors such as energy, digital technologies, manufacturing industry, and defence, while reducing excessive dependencies and strengthening Europe’s industrial autonomy.
The regulation sets out targets for 2030 that guide European policy:
Dependence on a single country outside the European Union should not exceed 65% of annual consumption for each strategic raw material.
To enable these targets, the regulation introduces the concept of Strategic Projects, granting them administrative priority, a single point of contact in each Member State, and maximum time limits for permitting, such as 27 months for extraction projects and 15 months for processing or recycling projects, without lowering environmental and social standards.