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| Tungsten |
Almonty Industries recently secured a multi-year Spanish tungsten supply deal with Sandvik subsidiary Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten. Under this agreement, Almonty will deliver at least 1,720 tonnes of tungsten trioxide from reprocessed tailings at Los Santos. Meanwhile, WBH will provide a conditional $3 million payment to secure offtake rights for this recycled material.
Reactivating Reprocessing Infrastructure in Western Europe
The Los Santos open-pit mine near Salamanca has remained under planned care and maintenance since February 2020. However, retreating stockpiled tailings allows Almonty to resume processing operations faster than traditional mine development projects. Furthermore, WBH gains crucial European-origin feedstock as Western supply chains increasingly prioritize secure strategic raw materials.
Strategic Alignment with Global Defense and Recycling Trends
This partnership aligns directly with shifting international defense procurement policies and circular economy initiatives. For instance, upcoming United States defense regulations will strictly restrict non-allied tungsten sources starting in 2027. Consequently, Almonty is rapidly expanding its global output, having already initiated plant operations at South Korea’s Sangdong mine.
ScrapInsight Commentary
This agreement highlights a growing structural shift toward urban mining and tailings reprocessing for critical energy metals. As Western defense regulations tighten feedstock provenance, secondary recovery assets will command premium valuations over unhedged primary mining developments. Consequently, regional recycling infrastructure will remain vital to mitigating supply risks across European manufacturing hubs.
