The launch of “The Geography of Romania’s Strategic Resources – Titanium and Zirconium” by Cătălin Deacu brings back into discussion one of the most pressing issues for the Romanian energy community: the local valorisation of critical mineral resources. At a time when Europe is urgently looking for secure sources of the metals essential to its energy transition, Romania has something to offer, something to rebuild. As for zirconium, “before 1990, Romania was one of the few countries in the world capable of building such capacities. And unfortunately not much is known about it”, emphasised Cătălin Deacu.
Published by Antet Revolution, the book by journalist and PhD in economic geography Cătălin Deacu documents the history of titanium and zircon mining in Romania. It is a hybrid between journalism and research, industrial memory and strategic warning. The study sheds light on the details of the existence of a complete industrial chain – from the extraction of the ores in the Danube Delta, Gorj or Argeș, to their processing in the Zirom Giurgiu and GrantMetal Bucharest plants. A model conceived in the 1960s that never fully worked and was abandoned as soon as the centralised economy collapsed.
The documentation spanning several years provides a factual account of the history of this industrial sector, as well as a wealth of anecdotes. For example, the feasibility study for the Cernavodă nuclear power plant was finalised in 1978 and the first reactor was commissioned after 1990. At the Chituc Grindul heavy metals operation, ‘the installations never reached their designed production capacities’ (page 60). At the Vadu village dry concentration plant, ‘the entire plant was equipped with Romanian-made electric and magnetic separators and belt conveyors. They were copied from Carpco separators and of course the copying was not of the best quality. Either the elevator buckets broke […], the bearings seized, the jaw bearings seized, the classifying surfaces broke, the conveyor belts broke […]” (page 61).
At the same time, the research offers some fundamental lessons, at a time when Romania, at the initiative and with support from Brussels, is called upon to identify, exploit and process locally the strategic resources needed for energy and economic security.
- Critical resources are essential for energy sovereignty
In the current geopolitical context – the Russian invasion of Ukraine, pressure on global supply chains, dependence on China – the issue of critical resources has risen to the top of the strategic agenda. Titanium, zircon, copper, copper, tellurium or rare earths are not just metals, but fundamental links in the energy balance of the future: from batteries and solar panels to nuclear equipment or defence technologies. “These metals have the chance, or perhaps the misfortune, to be on the critical and strategic list,” said Ștefan Marincea, a research scientist at the Geological Institute of Romania. “Consumption for hi-tech and military industries make them a prize for any mining company and any state that owns them,” he added.
Romania has these resources – but does not capitalise on them. Cătălin Deacu’s book thus becomes not just a historical document, but a lucid invitation to action. For the energy community, for investors, for decision-makers.
- Geological research needs to restart – urgently
Another key observation in the paper is the degradation of geological research capacity and the lack of an up-to-date resource inventory. Many deposits were identified before 1990 and no systematic prospecting has been carried out since then. Neither can new serious mining projects be developed, nor can industrial capital be attracted, without a detailed knowledge of what exists underground.
It is time for Romania to reinvest in geology, not just as a science, but as the material basis of any future industrial or energy policy. “In my view, geological research needs to be relaunched at national level, in order to make an inventory of what we still have, where they are located and what these deposits contain,” Cătălin Deacu insisted.
- Exploitation without local processing is a strategic error
This was the conclusion of experts present at the launch. Romania has devised an integrated industrial model capable of extracting, refining and utilising critical metals. With uranium at its centre, this model has contributed to the success of the Romanian nuclear energy sector, with the two reactors commissioned in 1996 and 2007. However, since 1990, Romania has increasingly become an exporter of raw materials or simply a repository of ignored resources.
It’s a mistake to be avoided, “because it turns a resource into a loss”, pleaded Petru Ianc, one of Romania’s senior metallurgy industry officials.
New mining projects – whether for magnesium at Budureasa or for copper at Rovina – must be accompanied by downstream processing capacity. This is also an essential condition for securing European support. All three mining projects in Romania that have been accepted on the European Commission’s list of those eligible for funding follow exactly this integrated industrial logic.
- Mining and metal processing are energy-intensive industries
Another relevant point – quietly but firmly emphasised in the discussions – was that these activities are energy-intensive. Therefore, no serious ambition about revitalising the exploitation of critical resources can take off without a clear association with local renewable energy sources dedicated to industrial self-consumption. Without a competitive energy solution, any investment will be vulnerable to external volatility and difficult to finance.
An interesting model mentioned was that of the company developing the magnesium project in Budureasa, which is said to have already invested in the largest photovoltaic park in Arad County – precisely to ensure the energy sustainability of its extraction and processing activities.
The launch was hosted by the National Geological Museum, with the support of acting director Ramona Balascuță, who welcomed Cătălin Deacu’s contribution to “this laborious process of highlighting Romania’s mineral resources”.
Cătălin Deacu’s book is a remarkable endeavour, but above all it is a necessary stepping stone for a national discussion. If we want a serious conversation about energy autonomy, value chains and sustainable industrial investment, we have to start from here: from what Romania already has in the underground, from what it was able to build in the past, from the mistakes of that time, from the limits, but also from the opportunities of today.
