Uranium Production at Spain’s Salamanca Project: SDG Champion Berkeley Energia Will Create Jobs, New Skills and Prosperity

Berkeley Energia Ltd is the owner of the Salamanca Project which will contribute significantly to sustainable recovery following COVID-19.

The Salamanca project, with a production of 4.4 Mlb of Uranium per year, will be one of the top 10 producers worldwide. It is being developed to the highest international standards, and the company’s commitment to health, safety and the environment remains a priority. Since 2012, the Company and Salmanca project has been certified in Sustainable Mining (UNE 22,470-80), Environmental Management (ISO 14,001), and more recently in Health and Safety (ISO 45,001) as awarded by AENOR, an independent Spanish government agency.

The company is led by Mr Robert Behets (MD), and the in-country team is a highly experienced group of professionals led by Mr Francisco Bellón (COO). The fundamental role in the project’s development is played by a specific department for Environmental Management and Sustainability led by Mrs Lucía García (Manager of Sustainability), ever mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

The sustainability strategy is driven by the Programme of Objectives defined in 2020, which strongly contributes to the achievement of the SDGs.

Berkeley is working according to the following key focuses:

Ecodesign: The choice of transfer mining that minimises the footprint of the project, the closed circuit of industrial water and zero discharge, as well as heap leaching (that does not generate tailings in the form of sludge) are some examples of ecodesign.

Eco-Innovation: The re-use of waste-water and sludge from municipalities for industrial use will minimise the flow of water captured from streams and produce materials for the revegetation of the site.

Circular Economy: Concerned with the Life Cycle perspective, the objective is maximum efficiency of resources used. This strategy focuses on responsible consumption, minimising waste, optimising important resources such as water
and energy, as well as reducing CO2 emissions. The objective is to minimise the Environmental Footprint of activities.

Eco-efficiency: Digitisation of the company contributes to the optimisation of resources, which translates into minimising the environmental impact. Likewise, installing LED lighting and implementing Fleet Control for the optimisation of material movement will help protect the environment while improving economic performance.

Sustainable performance: Committed to creating employment in the province of Salamanca, the project will create 500 jobs during construction, and over 1000 direct and indirect jobs in the operational phase – compatible with existing activities (since 2012 the company has allowed neighbours to make temporary use of its land for agricultural activity).

Environmental and sustainability training: Berkeley has set up a training centre for staff and local people to be trained in new skills. An interactive space will be created for environmental education and the dissemination of information regarding the importance of sustainability.

“At Berkeley we are aiming for progress in creating a sustainable future and, therefore, our business strategy is aligned with the sustainability principles defined by the United Nations,” reports Lucía García.

Berkeley is committed to continue developing its projects in a safe and sustainable manner.