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- Resource peak: Russia has discovered more than 200 TPI deposits since the beginning of the year
Resource peak: Russia has discovered more than 200 TPI deposits since the beginning of the year
Since the beginning of the year, over 200 new sites with reserves of solid minerals have been registered in Russia, which are officially included in the state balance of the subsoil. Izvestia investigated the expected economic impact of putting these deposits into development in the medium term, and how the new deposits will affect Russia's export potential and domestic commodity security.
Increasing the potential
The registration of over two hundred deposits of solid minerals creates a serious resource reserve for the Russian mineral resource sector, especially in a changed economic environment, Sergei Grishunin, managing director of the NRA rating service, told Izvestia. It is impossible to universally assess their future "economic returns", since each deposit has its own characteristics and a different level of prospects. However, the cumulative effect is key: in addition to large direct investments, which can amount to hundreds of billions of rubles, the accompanying results also play an important role. Among them, the formation of new production clusters and the development of related industries.
— Projects on the scale of the Lugokan copper-porphyry deposit form large infrastructure hubs around themselves, including energy, transport solutions, attracting labor resources and developing a social environment. In the medium term, after about 5-7 years, when these facilities switch to active production, we can expect a noticeable multiplier effect on GDP growth," he said.
According to him, the most significant contribution to GDP growth is associated with the formation of new production lines. This is not only about developing the deposits themselves and exporting the extracted ore, but also about creating a full—fledged deep processing around them, capable of producing high-value-added products such as concentrates, metals and alloys. This approach will increase the production of strategically important metals, such as titanium and copper, and will give the economy a new impetus in the chains related to aircraft manufacturing, electrical engineering and green energy. Although the domestic market remains key, it is the export of highly processed products that will be an indicator of the success of the chosen strategy.
After the collapse of the USSR, the country faced a shortage of a number of critically important raw materials, and today there is a chance to close the "geological gaps" and reduce dependence on imports, including supplies from partner countries, the expert noted.
"With the proper development of new fields, Russia will be able to move towards technological independence, both independently and in cooperation with friendly countries," Sergey Grishunin emphasized. — The main question is whether it will be possible to create modern deep processing facilities in the country based on new reserves and build advanced technological chains. It is extremely important not to repeat the mistakes of the 90s, when the emphasis was on exporting minimally processed raw materials, even if they were unique in quality.
About two hundred deposits are discovered in Russia every year, and 2025 was no exception, Vladislav Bukharsky, Associate Director for Sovereign and Regional Ratings at Expert RA, told Izvestia. Although the full list has not been disclosed, some of the new sites will compensate for the depletion of old reserves, while others will become the basis for promising projects, while balancing does not mean the start of production soon.
"The economic effect of commissioning each deposit depends on the type of raw materials, the availability of reserves, the complexity of licensing, the availability of infrastructure, the need to build processing facilities and the general market situation," he said.
Among the largest discoveries of the year, Rosnedra identifies potassium-magnesium deposits in the Saratov region, large apatite-perovskite-titanomagnetite mines in the Irkutsk region, silver deposits in Transbaikalia and Magadan region, as well as rare synnyrite ores in the Trans-Baikal Territory. Some of these facilities have clear development prospects, while others require the creation of new full-fledged mining complexes.
Export potential
The emergence of new deposits significantly strengthens the country's export capabilities and reduces dependence on the import of certain types of solid minerals, says Vladislav Bukharsky. In particular, we are talking about reserves of potassium, magnesium, titanium, phosphorus-containing raw materials, iron ores, silver and potassium-aluminum minerals.
Potash has traditionally remained one of the key Russian exports for the global fertilizer market, although restrictions have already been imposed on its export in order to meet domestic demand, he recalled. Apatites and phosphate raw materials are also export-oriented and used in the production of fertilizers. Additional volumes of titanium and iron ores are especially important, as they are in demand in metallurgy, the aviation industry and chemical production both in Russia and on the global market.
"Titanium raw materials, given the strategic nature of the metal, increase the technological independence of the country in the face of sanctions pressure," the expert explained. — The development of silver, given the high prices of this raw material on world markets, will also have positive effects, including for the domestic budget, while Russia is already among the leaders in silver reserves.
In traditional production areas, many deposits have been in operation for a long time and face restrictions, while the demand for minerals continues to grow both in domestic and foreign markets, the head of the Popular Front told Izvestia. Analytics" by Olga Pozdnyakova. Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the development of special programs to study the subsurface of the Far East and Siberia, including them in the federal project "Geology. The rebirth of a legend." New developments are being successfully implemented within its framework: in addition to the usual resources, special attention is paid to raw materials for the economy of the future — titanium, lithium, niobium and rare earth metals.
— But it is important to take into account that geological exploration is a long—term process, even if there is sufficient budgetary and private financing. And, according to experts, all investments will pay off many times," the expert added. — At the same time, it should be taken into account that in the Far Eastern regions, both exploration and mining companies are currently experiencing a shortage of qualified specialists in various fields in the field of geology.
Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Energy and Rosnedra, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
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