How much nickel and cobalt is there in Bilisht's underground? - Critical minerals, the country's reserves along the southeastern border
Our country aims to become an important player in the critical minerals market, at a time when reports in the Greek media about a possible investment in nickel mines in the Bilisht area have brought attention back to the country's mining potential.
Although these reports remain officially unconfirmed, they relate to a sector that, according to the National Strategy for the Development of the Mining Sector 2026–2040, is considered of strategic importance for the economy and the green transition.
According to this document, lateritic nickel and cobalt deposits lie along the eastern border of the country, in the areas of Kukës, Librazhd-Pogradec and Devoll, which also includes the Bilisht region. The remaining reserves are estimated at around 310 million tons of ore, with an average content of around 1% nickel and 0.06% cobalt.
In total, these resources translate into over 3.3 million tons of metallic nickel and around 184 thousand tons of cobalt, quantities that, according to the strategy, could ensure long-term supply for the market.
However, the sector currently remains limited to the export of raw ore. Nickel production is under 0.5 million tons per year and is almost entirely exported for processing abroad.
According to the strategy, the main challenge has been mineral processing. The technologies used in the past proved inefficient, but recent developments in the mining industry, with the construction of the first nickel refinery in Qafë Thanë, could pave the way for more advanced processing in the country.
Meanwhile, the new mining strategy aims to position Albania as a country with significant potential for strategic minerals such as nickel, cobalt, chromium and copper, which are essential for the battery industry, clean energy and digital technologies.
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