Thrace zeolite: An untapped natural resource worth 20 billion euros – Anni Karolidou
In which areas of Thrace are there zeolite deposits and how does the region intend to exploit them?
by Anni Karolidou
Thrace’s natural zeolite remains untapped, a resource which, according to rough estimates, is worth 20 billion euros or more, whilst internationally, around 150 types of synthetic zeolite are being developed to meet industrial needs, and whilst edible zeolite, intended for human consumption, is sold – imported from Bulgaria – at 24 euros for a 63-gram pack.
In an interview given by the new Regional Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, George Pavlidis, as part of the 79th Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, he stated his determination to promote the exploitation of this valuable mineral found in the prefecture of Evros, in Petrota in the municipality of Orestiada, as well as at the Kirkis deposit, a few kilometres north-west of Alexandroupoli.
Indeed, Mr Pavlidis emphasised that zeolite should not be exported in its raw state so that our country can benefit from the added value that the exceptional quality zeolite from Thrace can offer.
It should be noted, for the record, that zeolite mining in Greece has not yet begun, whilst the long-running saga of a company that had secured a licence to exploit a deposit in Petrota – which was subsequently revoked by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change – is well known. A public prosecutor’s investigation has been carried out into the matter, and it remains unresolved.
At this stage, however, the Deputy Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate Change approved, in early July – just two months ago – the carrying out of a technical study and survey covering an area of 99,161 stremmata at the ‘Kokkalo’ in the community of Petrota, where zeolite deposits are present. The approval was granted to the company ‘OLYMPOS Industrial Minerals S.A.’.
Meanwhile, the Municipality of Alexandroupoli has also taken the initiative to exploit the deposit at Kirkí and has prepared a dossier requesting that the Decentralised Administration of Macedonia– Thrace to grant a licence to carry out exploration in the area of the deposits.
The newly elected Regional Authority of Eastern Macedonia – Thrace, at a time of deep economic and social crisis, is determined not to remain inactive but to take action and exert pressure to ensure that this wealth – estimated at many tens of millions of cubic metres of rock.
The new Regional Governor of Central Macedonia – Thrace, responding to a journalist’s question regarding the operation of gold mines in Thrace, stated very clearly ‘I am opposed to anything that harms public health and the environment’.
At the event, Ms Sani Kapragou, a member of Professor Nikos Lygeros’s team, presented the properties of zeolite and the spectacular beneficial effects of its use.
It should be noted that zeolite, a porous natural clay-silicate mineral resembling a honeycomb or a sponge, has the ability to bind heavy metals, toxins and free radicals, whilst being hydrophilic. zeolite has been tested in agriculture, livestock farming, environmental applications, the chemical industry and so on. zeolite purifies urban wastewater, is used as a detergent in the oil industry, removes lead from plants, filters and purifies water, kills pathogens in agricultural crops, acts as an antibacterial agent in animals, is used by humans as a dietary supplement because it alkalises the pH, regulates the immune system, binds toxins and aids the absorption of nutrients.