These will be the most valuable raw materials for the Polish economy.

• Krzysztof Galos points out that the European Union's list of critical raw materials includes 34 such raw materials.
• We are a significant producer of two of them, i.e. copper and coking coal.
• - On this supply side, one can imagine in some perspective that other sources of some critical metals will appear - emphasizes Krzysztof Galos.

- If we are talking about underground mining and typical underground mining technologies, then there is hard coal and these are metal ores. Here copper ores and KGHM. If we are talking about future prospects in this regard, first of all we have to continue to associate them with copper and silver ores - assessed in an interview with the WNP portal Krzysztof Galos, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Climate and Environment, Chief National Geologist, who participated in the European Economic Congress. - And here we need to look for certain solutions so that this mining has a chance to at least maintain the current level of extraction, if not increase it. This must come down to either KGHM itself entering adjacent areas where it is possible to exploit in increasingly difficult conditions: deeper and deeper, with increasingly higher temperatures and other challenges. Or we should look for other areas where new mining projects could be created, whether with KGHM's participation, or co-participation, or without. The recently documented Nowa Sól deposit is an interesting potential project in particular. A very large deposit, but occurring very deeply - emphasizes Krzysztof Galos .

We are a significant producer of copper and coking coal

- According to the latest list of critical raw materials of the European Union, we have 34 such raw materials. That is a lot. We are a significant producer of two of them, i.e. copper and coking coal - emphasizes Krzysztof Galos. - And a smaller producer of several others. This is the supply side. On this supply side, one can imagine in some perspective that other sources of some critical metals will appear. Maybe some mining project of the Myszków type, i.e. molybdenum, tungsten and copper ores. Maybe some newly discovered deposit somewhere in the Sudetes. But this is a longer perspective - says Krzysztof Galos.

Development of high-quality steel production based on admixtures of various metals

- If we look at what the Polish economy needs, 15 (critical raw materials - editor's note) may be really important - emphasizes Krzysztof Galos. - When it comes to modern industries, especially the battery industry. For example, graphite, nickel or cobalt. This may actually be important, so that we may have our own sources or safe supplies from import - emphasizes Krzysztof Galos.

- When it comes to the defense industry , there is also an interesting issue - the development of high-quality steel production based on admixtures of various metals, such as tungsten, vanadium, molybdenum or titanium - indicates Krzysztof Galos. - We have a document called the State Raw Materials Policy. We are working on updating it and adapting it to the current challenges and development prospects of our individual industries. I think that the draft of this document should appear at the end of this year - emphasizes Krzysztof Galos.