Allied Critical Metals has secured a favourable environmental impact declaration from the Portuguese Environment Agency for its fully owned Borralha Tungsten Project in northern Portugal.
The declaration is subject to standard regulatory conditions (Declaração de Impacte Ambiental Favorável Condicionada – DIA).
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This regulatory approval marks a major step, enabling the project to advance to the Project of Execution and RECAPE (Environmental Compliance Report of the Execution Project) stage, along with subsequent licensing phases as outlined by Portuguese environmental regulations.
Allied Critical Metals CEO Roy Bonnell said: “The issuance of the Environmental Impact Declaration for the Borralha project represents an important regulatory milestone for Allied.
“This approval reflects the quality of the technical and environmental work completed to date and allows the company to advance the Borralha project into the next stage of permitting and detailed engineering, subject to compliance with the conditions set out by the Portuguese authorities.”
The Borralha Tungsten Project is designed as a modern underground mining operation.
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By GlobalDataThis brownfield project has a historical production record from its northern section, where more than 10,280 tonnes (t) of wolframite concentrate were extracted between 1904 and 1985. The concentrate had an average grade of 66% tungsten trioxide.
The environmental impact declaration, based on which the DIA decision was made, evaluated diverse factors including social, cultural and ecological impacts.
It suggested measures such as underground mining techniques to limit surface disruption, rehabilitation plans for historic mining sites and protection strategies for water resources.
The declaration includes measures such as closed-loop water management, dry-stacked tailings and environmental monitoring plans to mitigate impacts.
The project aligns with the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims to diversify supply sources for critical industrial and defence sectors within the EU.
In addition to securing the DIA, Allied Critical Metals has received a letter of recognition from idD Portugal Defense.
This acknowledgment highlights Allied Critical Metals’s role in revitalising tungsten production in Portugal and underscores the project’s strategic importance for both national and European defence supply chains.
Located in Montalegre’s Parish of Salto near Borralha village, the project is expected to stimulate regional employment and economic activity through local procurement initiatives and long-term investments.
Post-DIA approval, Allied Critical Metals intends to prepare documentation for further project execution stages and proceed with detailed engineering studies. The company will also conduct additional environmental assessments as required by conditions of approval and continue engagement with relevant stakeholders.
