Potential of critical raw materials of Slovakia

Abstract

The paper deals with the analysis of the potential of selected critical minerals in the territory of the Slovak Republic from economic perspective. The aim of the work is to evaluate the possibilities of using selected minerals in the conditions of the Slovak Republic and to assess their importance in the context of raw material security of the European Union. The research analyses the development of prices of selected critical minerals, namely antimony, lithium, cobalt and natural graphite, in the period from 2015 to 2025 in order to assess their economic prospects in terms of the possible use of domestic resources. The results had been achieved through a quantitative analysis of secondary data and systematic monitoring and evaluation of CRM development, as well as an assessment of the prospects of selected CRM and possibilities of their use in concrete conditions. The results of the analysis show that the Slovak Republic has potential, especially in the case of antimony, which has confirmed deposits on its territory and at the same time an important strategic position within the European Union. On the contrary, lithium, cobalt and natural graphite are important for Slovakia primarily in terms of their use in industry, while their availability is ensured mainly by imports. The use of critical minerals in the territory of the Slovak Republic is conditioned by several factors, in particular the economic efficiency of mining, environmental requirements and legislative conditions.