BAS, BEH, and Maritsa East Mines sign a tripartite agreement for cooperation in the exploration of critical raw materials and rare earth metals

At an official ceremony attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rosen Zhelyazkov, and the Minister of Energy, Zhecho Stankov, on January 15 in Radnevo, a tripartite agreement was signed between the Geological Institute of BAS (GI-BAS), the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH), and Maritsa East Mines EAD, represented by Prof. Svetoslav Georgiev, Mr. Valentin Nikolov, and Mr. Todor Todorov, respectively.

Under the agreement, the GI-BAS team will conduct a comprehensive study and analysis of the content of critical and strategic raw materials (including rare earth elements) in the East Maritsa Coal Basin. The aim is to establish the potential of lignite coal in the basin for the extraction of critical and strategic raw materials which would ensure a long-term perspective for industry in the region. The next step is to collaborate with the University of North Dakota, USA, with which BEH has an established partnership in the field of innovative technologies for extracting such raw materials from lignite coal.