The National Salt Corporation Salrom has submitted a EUR 180 million strategic project to access European funds for recycling and valorizing historical tailings dumps in the Baia de Fier area, Gorj County, the company said on Tuesday. The initiative is intended to support the circular economy, the green transition and the security of the European Union's critical raw material supply.

The investment targets the recycling and recovery of tailings and secondary flows from the exploitation and processing of graphite shales in Baia de Fier, 'turning the area into a strategic hub of the EU circular economy and demonstrating full integration of the value chain - from exploitation and processing to recycling and re-introduction of critical materials into the economic circuit,' the release adds.

The project directly addresses the targets of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) by boosting supply security, reducing import dependence and mitigating environmental liabilities from historical mining, specifies the cited source.

According to the company, the project will rely exclusively on secondary raw materials sourced within the EU, closed water-circuit systems, advanced emission control and responsible waste management, in line with Do No Significant Harm principles and ESG requirements. Recovered graphite will be used in green-economy and energy infrastructure applications, while mineral fractions will be valorized as functional products for civil works and renewable projects.

The economic and social impact of the project is relevant at regional and national level, as 'the investment will generate stable jobs, support the development of technical and industrial skills in Gorj - a region in transition - and strengthen Romania's role in implementing European green transition and circular economy policies', the company states.

Also, the project is fully aligned with the Gorj Just Transition Territorial Plan, contributing to the sustainable reconversion of the area.

'The Tailings-to-Green Baia de Fier - Recycling and Valorisation of Mining Tailings for Renewable Infrastructure project is designed as part of an integrated industrial complex developed by Salrom in Baia de Fier with the purpose of covering the entire graphite value chain in the European Union. The recycling initiative complements Salrom's graphite extraction project, declared an EU Strategic Project in 2025, and a graphite processing project submitted later that year. Together, the three projects - extraction, processing and recycling - form an integrated system designed to maximize resource use, close material loops, reduce environmental liabilities and secure EU supplies of critical raw materials,' the cited source said.

Salrom said its first project, worth EUR 198.3 million, involves the extraction and primary processing of graphite shale to produce high-purity graphite for batteries, especially for electric vehicles and energy storage. A second project, valued at EUR 250 million, for advanced processing of graphite shale is under evaluation by the European Commission. In total, Salrom's three projects amount to EUR 628 million.

'Through this initiative, Salrom intends to strengthen its position as a strategic European actor in the field of critical raw materials and demonstrates its commitment to responsible industrialization, security of supply and sustainable development in support of the European Union's energy transition,' company representatives said. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Nicoleta Banciulea; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)