An international competition for the exploration and exploitation of antimony in Chios has been announced by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, stated the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and government spokesperson, Pavlos Marinakis, during a briefing for political editors.

As explained by Mr. Marinakis, antimony is part of the list of Critical Raw Materials published by the European Union and is used, among other things, in the defense industry and technologies for the green transition. Our country is one of only two countries in Europe, along with Italy, that holds antimony deposits, which, however, remain untapped to this day.

This initiative represents another step in the organized effort of the government to highlight and utilize the country’s mineral wealth.

“The Ministry of Environment and Energy will ensure the strictest commitments from the Contractor regarding environmental protection, the creation of jobs for the local community, and the allocation of a percentage of fixed and proportional rents to the Municipality of Chios,” emphasized the government spokesman.

He added: “The first phase concerns the invitation to express interest (non-binding offers) by March 10, 2025, where those who meet the criteria will be selected to continue. The second phase includes the invitation for the submission of binding offers within the second quarter of 2025, for the lease of exploration and exploitation rights to mining minerals, in an area of 9.02 km² of the Public Mining Space of Chios.”