Montalegre, Portugal, Oct. 9, 2026 (Lusa) - The selection of the Borralha tungsten mine, planned for Montalegre, in northern Portugal, as a strategic project of the European Union is «an achievement» and an opportunity of «great importance» for the nation, the company Mineralia told the Lusa news agency on Friday.
«We are the only Portuguese project included in this new selection of 46 projects, which underlines the importance of our mineral resources for the security of Europe's supply,» Minerália – Minas, Geotecnia e Construções told the Lusa news agency today. The company intends to mine tungsten (wolfram) at Borralha, in the municipality of Montalegre, Vila Real region.
This Borralha Mine Project has been selected by the European Commission as one of 46 new strategic projects to strengthen the European Union's (EU) supply of critical raw materials, the Commission announced today.
«To strengthen the EU's supply chains and diversify sources of critical raw materials, the European Commission today announced the selection of 46 new strategic projects across 16 member states,» the EU executive stated.
In January, the Borralha mine received a conditional favourable opinion from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), and Minerália is responsible for the concession.
The company intends to mine tungsten and proposes an underground operation in a mining area that was active until the 1980s.
«Tungsten is essential for industrial tools, aerospace components, semiconductors and defence applications. Ensuring secure and diversified supply sources is therefore a matter of industrial competitiveness, but also of economic and strategic security for Europe and NATO countries,» emphasised Minéralia.
The company considered that «Portugal can take on a more significant role as a supplier of a raw material that its European and transatlantic partners require».
«Our mining tradition, technical expertise and projects under development provide us with a solid foundation to contribute to more resilient supply chains, including those that underpin the defence industries of allied countries,» it added.
The company stated that its «ambition also involves creating more value in Portugal».
«We are exploring the possibility of developing tungsten refining and processing capacity in the country, in conjunction with the Borralha and Vila Verde projects. This vision could help attract industry and technology, create skilled jobs and generate exports with higher added value, bringing lasting benefits to the interior», it emphasised.
It emphasised that the company has the «opportunity to transform a geological advantage into an industrial and strategic advantage for Portugal».
«European recognition of Borralha reinforces this opportunity and should serve as a catalyst for close collaboration between companies, institutions, the scientific community and industrial partners,» it stressed.
It explained that licensing procedures are currently underway and that the aim is for «the strategic importance of Borralha to translate into responsible development and tangible benefits for the region and the country».
At EU level, the 16 selected projects were chosen from among 102 applications received and will help to «strengthen competitiveness, increase resilience and reduce dependence on a single supplier», according to Brussels.
The chosen projects cover 15 of the 17 strategic raw materials identified in the European Critical Raw Materials Regulation, including lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, graphite, magnesium, tungsten and rare earths.
In the first list of strategic projects under the Critical Raw Materials Regulation, announced on 25 March 2025, Portugal had four projects selected, three relating to lithium and one to copper.
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