The extraction and processing of critical elements are concentrated in a few countries around the world, mainly in China. Critical resources and raw materials are controlled by the geology of the various territories. There is no shortage of deposits, but extraction is concentrated in a few countries. There are about 34 raw materials. This was said in an interview for "Face to Face" Assoc. Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Georgiev, Director of the Geological Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
"Rare earth elements have not been extracted in Ukraine so far. Of these critical raw materials, Ukraine has a significant extraction of titanium, manganese and graphite. These are the three raw materials on the critical list of the EC, for which Ukraine has a developed extraction. Everything else is assumptions that are not speculation. They can be used as a bargaining chip," he explained, adding that Ukraine is not unique in the world of resources.
"China has invested in their search and extraction since early on", Dr. Georgiev also said.
He pointed out that such elements are an indispensable component of renewable electricity capacities. "They are in cameras, screens, space technologies, military technologies, mobile phones. The properties of the different elements determine their application,", Dr. Georgiev also explained.
"They may also be available in Bulgaria. The Western world has recently put the cart before the horse. All resources are mainly purchased from China. Therefore, China controls and can interrupt trade at any time. The energy that we will receive from renewable capacities is expensive. We are not searching in our country for several reasons. The lack of state policy in the sector is historical. We do not have a geological service to support these studies, including raw materials and critical raw materials. 57 years ago, we needed copper, uranium, iron and aluminum and we were exploring for them," he said, specifying that the situation is different now.