Wealth of the Belarusian land

Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry — on Belarusian subsoil reserves and import substitution of imported mineral raw materials with domestic ones

About 50 different types of minerals have been identified in Belarus, and the total number of deposits exceeds 14 thousand. We have not only potassium salts, sands, kaolins, clay, dolomite, chalk, but also basalts, tuffs and much more. Today, the important task of import substitution of imported raw materials with domestic ones is being solved where it is economically feasible. We learned about the features of this work, the secrets that the Belarusian subsoil keeps, from the Head of the Main Department of Natural Resources of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry,
Vasily Kolb. 

Daria Titova

Sands — in progress

— Today, given external challenges, the issue of import substitution of raw materials is quite relevant in Belarus.
It was previously noted that a number of government agencies and enterprises began to carry out large-scale work to reduce imports of mineral raw materials and maximise the use of their own. How can we assess the results of 2023 in this direction?
— Indeed, today at many enterprises in the country the strategy regarding the use of mineral raw materials has changed. Work has already been organised in a number of areas to increase its production, and approaches to mineral processing technology are being revised. And this despite the fact that just a year ago the work of some enterprises was based only on imported raw materials.
During 2023, the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry, together with interested departments and organisations, developed about 15 proposals for the development of the mineral resource base. These approaches will not only significantly reduce the volume of imports of minerals available in the country, including sands, kaolins, clay, dolomite, chalk, basalts, but also increase the efficiency of existing production facilities for the extraction and primary processing of raw materials.
Having analysed the operational information, it can be noted that compared to 2022, there is an increase in the production of potassium salts by 170.4 percent, glass sand by the enterprise Gomelsteklo by 115 percent, building stone by Granit by almost 113 percent and Gomelobldorstroy by 154 percent, chalk and marl used for cement production by organisations of the Belarusian Cement Company, by 103.7 percent.


— Which country’s enterprises’ experience in terms of raw material import substitution can be considered particularly successful?
— At the top of the list are organisations of the Industry Ministry, which are carrying out targeted work, in particular, 
to increase the share of domestic quartz sand in the production of foundry products. Thus, Osipovichi Automobile Units Plant has completely switched to domestic raw materials since August 2022, using over 500 tonnes of sand during this period. In 2022, the branch of Atlant, the Baranovichi Machine Tool Plant, completed tests and a complete transition to the use of this raw material for moulding production. The branch of Gomel Mining and Processing Plant of Gomelsteklo. In 2023 alone, more than 4.4 thousand tonnes were processed. The shares of imported sand from MTZ and MAZ decreased to 12 (6.4 thousand tonnes) and 30 percent (4.5 thousand tonnes), respectively.

Today and for the future

— What minerals are Belarusian geologists generally working on today? Have plans for their exploration and production been fulfilled over the past year? 
— In 2023, in accordance with the Environmental Protection and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources for 2021-2025 state programme, all indicators for the growth of mineral resources were met. In particular, we have grown with oil, basalts, and sands.
Thus, in the northern part of the Western section of the Sloboda Deposit, Minsk District, an increase in reserves of silicate sands was obtained by 7.2 million tonnes, basalts at the Novodvorskoye Deposit, Pinsk District — by 54.5 million tonnes. Also, during the exploration work, basalt resources in the identified Pinsk and Ivanovichi areas were estimated at 648 million tonnes, and oil resources at the Zhukovichi structure — 457 thousand tonnes.
As for mining, according to current data, we are seeing an increase in this direction. Enterprises developed appropriate strategies. As an example, Belorusneft, which, in accordance with the strategy for the development of the petrochemical complex until 2030, achieved a record oil production of 1.87 million tonnes last year, which is 103 percent higher than in 2022.

DARIA TITOVA

We replace it with domestic

— What raw materials resources of our enterprises in the future, in your opinion, can and should be replaced with Belarusian raw materials?
— Despite the developed raw material base for such important minerals as kaolin, quartz sands, clays, gypsum, dolomite, chalk, basalts, stable imports are still observed. We believe that the existing deposits of these minerals in Belarus are promising in terms of import substitution. And work in this direction continues.
Firstly, we can talk about the potential transition to domestic raw materials for enterprises producing basalt products. These are not only mineral wool slabs and continuous basalt fibre, but also landscaping elements, such as paving slabs.
Non-fuel peat products also have significant potential. We are talking about the creation and implementation of new fertilisers and nutrient soils, sorption materials, activated carbons and others.
It is expected that in the near future we will be involved in the development of the Sitnitsa Kaolin Deposit. This raw material is used in the production of ceramic products, and work is currently underway to improve its quality and prepare results for its further use in the country’s economy.  Enterprises in the foundry industry show interest and are actively working on import substitution — the use of moulding sand, the glass industry — quartz sand for the production of glass products, and the ceramic industry — refractory clays. For these purposes, the country has proven mineral resources. It is necessary to improve processing technology in order to improve their quality to meet industry requirements.
— In March 2023, large-scale work began on detailed exploration of basalts and tuffs at the Novodvorskoye Deposit. What is the prospect of reducing imports of these minerals in this regard?
— In the first half of last year, work on detailed exploration of basalts and tuffs at the Novodvorskoye Deposit was completed. Industrial reserves of basalts amount to more than 54 million tonnes, and tuffs — over 8 million. A feasibility study for the development of the field has been compiled.
We can already say today: the commissioning of this complex will allow us to reduce the import of basalt (Br4.1 million in the nine months of 2023) and create about 460 new jobs in the region, as well as completely replace the import of raw materials and ensure existing production, leaving currency in the country.
— How do you generally assess the economic benefits of replacing imported raw materials with Belarusian ones for industrial purposes?
— Foremost, by extracting our own mineral resources, we thereby ensure the economic security of our republic and reduce its dependence on other countries in terms of imports. Secondly, by involving new fields in the development, we can talk about creating new enterprises in the regions or increasing the production capabilities of existing enterprises. And this means new jobs, increased revenue, tax revenues, production of new types of products and expansion of the range.

  By  Vera Arteaga