A new underground mine in Ciudad Real, designated an EU Strategic Project, brings 400 direct jobs to a region facing rural depopulation
- 400 direct jobs and further indirect employment in a rural region of Castilla-La Mancha, with hiring priority for local workers.
- Designated an EU Strategic Project under the Critical Raw Materials Act in March 2025, one of 47 projects selected across the Union, and one of 7 in Spain.
- An underground mine with paste backfill and dry-stacked tailings, designed for a low surface footprint.
- Construction underway since May 2026; first production targeted for the first quarter of 2029.
Abenójar, Ciudad Real, 18 September 2026 — Abenójar Tungsten S.A. («ABT») today held the official inauguration of the El Moto tungsten and gold mine in Abenójar, Ciudad Real. The ceremony was attended by the President of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, together with regional and local authorities, the company’s partners and directors, and residents of Abenójar.
El Moto is the first new mine to be built from the ground up in the region in decades. It has been in preparation since 2012 and construction began in May 2026, with mine ramp development following in July.
A mine for the people of the region
El Moto will create 400 direct jobs once in operation, alongside further indirect employment in contractors, haulage, workshops, maintenance, services and local businesses. Abenójar has around 1,375 inhabitants and lives mainly from the primary sector; the region has experienced a steady population decline over the years.
The company’s commitment is to train, hire and buy locally wherever possible. Mining work in Spain requires formally regulated qualifications that must be recognised by the mining authority and which a company cannot deliver on its own. ABT has therefore asked the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha to establish accredited vocational mining courses in the region, offering the mine for practical training, its own technicians to support it, and a commitment to hire those who qualify.
On current reserves the mine has an 18-year life, extendable with the resources already identified. The company operates a zero-incident safety policy: not zero accidents, but zero incidents, on the principle that an incident is the step before an accident and that is where it must be stopped.
Strategic for Europe
In March 2025 the European Commission designated El Moto an EU Strategic Project under the Critical Raw Materials Act, as one of 47 projects selected across the Union. El Moto’s average annual production of 4,227 tonnes of WO₃ per year in concentrate, will match a significant portion of Europe’s annual demand.
Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal, at around 3,422 °C, and a density close to that of gold. Those properties make it very difficult to substitute in hard metals and industrial tooling, automotive and energy applications, electronics, and aerospace and defence. China accounts for approximately 79% of global mine production of tungsten concentrate, refines all of its own concentrate and restricts exports; less than 5% of internationally traded concentrate is imported into Europe.
Built underground, with a low surface footprint
El Moto is an underground operation, chosen over open-pit mining for its lower environmental and surface impact. Access is by ramp from a surface portal, with mining from around 50 metres below surface to a maximum depth of 350 metres.
The voids left by extraction are backfilled with paste made from the tailings themselves, which keeps the ground stable and minimises material left on surface. The remaining plant tailings are filtered and dry-stacked together with mine waste rock on a lined and drained facility; there is no slurry tailings pond. Water is recovered and reused, with the operation largely self-supplied from mine dewatering, rainfall and site run-off and an on-site treatment plant designed to Spanish discharge standards. In production, discharge is zero. A Rehabilitation Plan has been approved within the Mining Concession since 2015.
Quotes
Gonzalo García San Miguel, Chief Executive Officer of Abenójar Tungsten S.A., said: «Above all, this is a mine for the people who live here. Construction has already begun, the machinery is here, and El Moto will provide direct employment for 400 people, and many more jobs among contractors, hauliers, workshops, service providers and local businesses. Our commitment is simple: wherever possible, we will train, hire and buy locally. Europe needs tungsten and depends almost entirely on others to obtain it. Here, in Abenójar, we have part of the answer. And this is the project of a lifetime for my family: we have come to stay.»
Verónica García Sánchez, Mayor of Abenójar, said: “The opening of the El Moto mine marks a milestone for our municipality and a promising opportunity for the future of Abenójar. We are talking about secure, high-quality jobs, training for our young people, and new prospects for businesses, self-employed workers, and suppliers throughout the region and the province. Over the years, the Town Council has worked hand in hand with ABT and other authorities, maintaining open and transparent dialogue with our residents. The social acceptance of the project demonstrates that it is possible to promote an initiative of this scale based on closeness, respect, and responsibility, always with a firm commitment to protecting the environment and caring for our surroundings”.
Notes to editors
| Location | Abenójar, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain |
| Type of operation | Underground tungsten and gold mine with an on-site processing plant |
| Processing throughput | 1.5 million tonnes per year |
| Life of mine | 18 years on current reserves, extendable with identified resources |
| Steady-state production | Approximately 4,227 tonnes of WO₃ per year in concentrate, plus gold as a by-product |
| Mineral reserves | 22.6 Mt at 0.41% WO₃ and 0.40 g/t Au (proven and probable) |
| Mineral resources | 91.3 Mt at 0.38% WO₃ and 0.41 g/t Au (inclusive of reserves) |
| Direct employment | 400 direct jobs, plus indirect employment across the region |
| Permitting | Environmental Impact Declaration (2014); Mining Concession including an approved Rehabilitation Plan (2015) |
| Construction | Portal and earthworks from May 2026; mine ramp development from July 2026 |
| First production target | First quarter of 2029 |
Technical figures are taken from the El Moto 2026 Definitive Feasibility Study. Mineral resources are inclusive of mineral reserves; contained metal figures are not recoverable metal. Market data: International Tungsten Industry Association and Argus, Tungsten Market Due Diligence IMC Report, 12 June 2026.
About Abenójar Tungsten S.A.
Abenójar Tungsten S.A. is a private Spanish company established in 2023 to develop the El Moto tungsten and gold project in Ciudad Real, Spain. It is majority owned by Promotora de Minas de Carbón, a company controlled by the García San Miguel family, which has multi-generational experience developing and operating mines in Spain: the family mine contracting business was founded in 1967, and the group has more than 40 years in contracting across 18 mining operations, direct experience in 25 operations in Spain and three in South America, and equity interests in nine mines. Its record as an owner and operator includes the full rehabilitation of mines at the end of their working lives, among them the San Antonio mine in Espiel, whose land is today an olive grove.
Construction of the underground operation at El Moto began in 2026, with first production targeted for the first quarter of 2029. El Moto holds EU Strategic Project designation under the Critical Raw Materials Act and is being developed with a focus on long-term benefits for all stakeholders.
https://abtungsten.es/en/
Media contacts
Tavistock (international media): abt@tavistock.co.uk
Spain media: lserrano-conde@kreab.com
Forward-looking statements
This announcement contains statements about future events and expectations that are forward-looking in nature, including statements regarding construction, production timing, employment and mine life. Such statements are based on the information available to Abenójar Tungsten S.A. at the date of this announcement and are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of them outside the company’s control, which may cause actual results to differ materially. Mineral resource and reserve estimates are, by their nature, subject to uncertainty. Nothing in this announcement constitutes, or forms part of, an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any securities, in any jurisdiction, nor does it constitute financial or investment advice. The company undertakes no obligation to update these statements.
