Albania is drafting a roadmap (development strategy) for critical raw materials, aiming to identify and analyze the country’s national resources in this field.
In its strategy for the development of the mining sector, the government emphasizes that the preparation of this document is being led by the EIT RawMaterials Regional Innovation Center, in cooperation with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, the National Agency of Natural Resources (AKBN), and the Albanian Geological Survey (AGSH). The initiative is described as one of the most important strategic undertakings of the decade.
“The document aims to identify, analyze, and assess national resources of critical raw materials (CRMs), including base metals, ferroalloys, and rare minerals of particular importance for green transition technologies, renewable energy, defense, and the digital industry.
The roadmap serves as a long-term planning instrument for the sustainable development of the national value chain—from exploration and extraction to processing, recycling, and industrial integration—while ensuring alignment with the objectives of the **European Critical Raw Materials Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1252),” the strategy states.
Earlier, a study by the European Training Foundation, an EU body, analyzed countries’ capacities regarding raw materials as a means of coordination and supply security for Europe’s industrial development. Regarding Albania, the study highlighted that the country already produces several critical raw materials.
First among them is cobalt, found in the mining areas of Pogradec. This material is of particular importance for lithium-ion batteries, which are essential components of electric vehicles and smartphones.
Second is copper, with reserves in the Lezhë and Kukës regions. Copper is crucial for a wide range of sectors, from energy to construction.
The third is feldspar, found in the Shkodër area, which is important for the ceramics, porcelain, and paint industries.
Another key material is nickel, with deposits located in Kukës, Devoll, Çervenakë, Përrenjas, and Librazhd as Class C deposits, and a Class B deposit in Devoll.
