Poland is the biggest mining country in the European Union hosting raw materials such as hard coal, lignite, copper, gold and silver as the main resources which are produced in both surface mining and mainly in underground operations. Wroclaw is located centrally to important mining areas of coal mining in the Silesian Basin (abt. 170km), the big copper mines of KGHM (abt. 100km) and the western lignite deposits in Turoszow close to the border to Germany.  Poland hosts the biggest mining communities in Europe consisting of mining companies, a big mining supplier industry and academia.

One of the world’s biggest producers of copper and silver KGHM is based in Wrocław.  The company employs 34,000 people and operates mining projects in Europe, North America and  South America. KGHM output is estimated at 40 million tonnes of copper in situ. The company operates the largest silver mine in the world. In 2022, the KGHM Group produced 1,327 tons of silver.

In 2016 the Korean Technology Giant opened LG Energy Solution in Wrocław – Europe’s largest and the world’s leading producer of lithium-ion batteries for the automotive industry.  Greenfield investment in Wrocław brought the implementation of the most advanced technology to Poland. The plant covers an area of about 100 ha. The current capacity is 70 GWh and will reach 115 GWh in 2025.

Umicore has two production facilities near Wrocław: Nowa Ruda for automotive catalysts and Nysa for cathode materials. Commissioned in 2022 the Nysa plant is the first cathode materials plant in Europe. The materials produced in Nysa are sold to battery cell makers who produce the batteries for electric vehicles. Umicore has been producing cathode materials for rechargeable batteries for more than 20 years. Umicore has had long-standing expertise in metal treatment for more than 200 years. It has been producing cathode materials for rechargeable batteries for more than 20 years. The materials that are produced in Nysa are sold to battery cell makers who produce the batteries for electric vehicles.

Wrocław is the capital city of Lower Silesia, the third biggest city in Poland, is not only a dynamic economic centre but also one of the most beautiful cities in Poland.

Wrocław can boast one of Poland’s most efficient and modern airports, thanks to the shiny new terminal opened in March 2012. The airport is located about 10 km from the city centre.  Convenient access to the centre is possible thanks to the public buses and other forms of transport, such as taxis, always waiting for arriving passengers at the terminal. Also, travellers who plan onward journey beyond Wrocław to the region can choose from a variety of forms of transport.

Currently, the following air careers provide direct flights to Wrocław: Eurowings, KLM, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Ryanair, SAS, Swiss Air, WizzAir and Air Dolomiti.

Please check the airport website for more information https://airport.wroclaw.pl/

In the months preceding the Forum, we will be “mining” and posting the news about the trends, projects, policies, and innovations evolving across the minerals and metals supply chain across 14 countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The language plugin will enable seamless translation to 20 languages.

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