2024-08-19 12:05:02
They want to search and explore new deposits and concessions
18,857 miners, geologists, engineers and specialists in the mining industry have a holiday today, St. Ivan Rilski, their patron. The branch, which provides 5% of the country’s gross domestic product and last year produced raw materials for 4.2 billion. BGN, provides work for another 120,000 people related to their business, for whom today is also important.
Traditionally, and in order to protect them from God and their patron – St. Ivan Rilski, the day began with a prayer for health in the “Holy Sunday” church. The guides of the Bulgarian Chamber of Mining and Geology, the Scientific and Technical Union of Mining and Geology and the mining
federations – FNSM and SMF “Podkrepa” participated in the traditional solemn prayer”.
The mining community continued its professional celebration with something it does once a year – to report to the public what it has done and to say what the prospects are for the industry and where things are not so good and what needs to be done.
The mineral industry is the basis for the development of the economy and vital for the existence of our civilization. More than 3/4 of everything we use in our daily life is produced from mined raw materials, recalled the chairman of the Bulgarian Chamber of Mining and Geology, Eng. Dragomir Draganov.
In the chamber’s analysis, he focused on the most important – the green and digital transition, the forecast for increased demand for raw materials in the EU by 6 times by 2030 and up to 15 times by 2050, and what challenges this represents for the mining industry.
“In this context, the presence of underground resources in a given region is a valuable advantage and an opportunity for its sustainable development. For Bulgaria, this is a chance to strengthen its position and take important steps in its development. The mining industry in Bulgaria provides nearly 5% of the gross domestic product depending on the international prices of the stock market. The branch is strategically important because it supplies key sectors such as metallurgy, construction, engineering and other industries and is a guarantor of the raw material and energy independence of the country and of Europe extractive industry is a guarantee for increasing the competitiveness of the national economy, a chance for young people to live and work in Bulgaria, to build on what has been achieved through innovation, new and modern technologies,” said Draganov.
He also focused on the steps that must be taken by the authorities in partnership with the industry.
The first is to strengthen exploration for raw materials, as well as to update the database of mineral types, because information on Europe’s underground wealth dates back as knowledge from the 1970s to the mid-1980s. So our first step must be to research for raw materials to ensure our independence.
The second is the regulatory framework, as it is important to have a balance between the policy objectives in the EU, considering – the green transition and the opportunities for the mining industry to work as the main driver of sustainable development. The main thing is balance – not to allow an overly restrictive regulatory framework for European mining companies, which puts them at a disadvantage compared to the mining industry in other parts of the world. Here comes the key role of the institutions, including the Bulgarian government.
Deputy Minister of Energy Krasimir Nenov emphasized the role of the mining industry in the transition to a low-carbon economy and its importance for the country’s energy security. It ensures sustainable supply chains and added value.
This industry pays about BGN 800 million per year in the form of concession fees, taxes, insurance and other obligations to the state, BMGK noted in its analysis. It is a fair employer with good wages and insurance on real amounts.
The Honorary Chairman of the Chamber Prof. Dr. Nikolay Vulkanov noted that “Dundee Plush Metals” and “Asarel-Medet” have invested an impossibly large amount of funds over the years. He emphasized the perspective and emphasized that there is a horizon for the extraction of some metals for another 15-20 years, and the question is what to do after that. He insisted on new metal mining concessions.
Alexander Zagorov, confederal secretary of KT “Podkrepa” emphasized that in the populated areas where raw materials are now extracted, there is nothing else except forestry and agriculture. After mining stops, these regions will be devastated, he warned.
The innovation and investments of the mining companies allow them to produce raw materials from ores with a low metal content, noted Plamen Dimitrov, president of KNSB. He insisted on a national program for coal mining, as there was little substance in the territorial plans for the coal regions.
As every year, now with the miners were their social partners, as well as mayors of municipalities on whose lands the deposits are located. The partnership with the local communities and the support of local projects and initiatives makes the standard of living in these municipalities better than the national average.