An Israeli company, ICL, expanded its operations into Catalonia, facing local administration scrutiny and opposition from environmental groups. The central tension centers on balancing environmental protection with industrial growth, particularly the potash mining activities that create massive salt waste mountains and expansive structures that resemble both a mine and a potential tourist site. The sector has drawn criticism due to fatal industrial accidents tied to competitive pressures and high-risk operations in recent years.
Since its discovery near Potash Suria in 1912, the Bages region has seen notable shifts in its landscape within the Catalan Potash Basin. In 1982 the mine complex passed into state ownership through Potasas and, in 1998, was acquired by a private operator under Iberpotash for 103.4 million euros. The Potash Group was reported by the state-owned corporation SEPI as seeking partners to improve competitiveness and profitability through technological, productive, and commercial enhancements. The plan required a careful balance between ongoing mining activity and the environmental remediation of degraded salt-impacted surroundings. Yet, Suria and Sallent mines have consistently found themselves at the contentious intersection of environmental advocacy and regulatory oversight.
The courts and authorities have been central to the debate, with critics arguing that ICL leverages custom litigation to normalize mining despite environmental harm and to serve corporate interests. In return for its industrial activities, ICL and the administrative authorities committed to a gradual restoration of historical sites. The Cogulló salt water bed, initiated in 1977, was created to store salty waste from potash extraction. The closure of storage facilities requires purifying the stored salty material before it can be sold as a product. Restoration work on this bed is projected to extend over several decades. Even a rail infrastructure linking the Port of Barcelona to large storage beds and loading areas for high-capacity ships formed a significant, multiyear logistical undertaking tied to potash and salt operations.
For every ton of potash produced in Bages, roughly three tons of salt residues are created. ICL has pledged to reduce the salt mountain stockpile while boosting potash output. The large salt production in the region has faced criticism from salt producers who view ICL as an advantaged competitor with potential influence over administration decisions and broader salt pricing. Much of the output is oriented toward lower-grade industrial uses, including road-salt applications in winter.
illegal activity
The industrial agreement with ICL has even been described as circumventing a Supreme Court ruling in 2015 that deemed certain mining activities illegal. In the Sallent case, both ICL and the Generalitat appealed a Catalan Supreme Court decision from October 2003 that revoked an environmental permit granted by the Catalan government. The El Cogulló salt mountain remains an airborne, non-waterproof dump, and research indicates ongoing saltwater leakage into Llobregat, the river feeding Barcelona’s metropolitan area, raising ongoing environmental concerns.
Pressure to halt potash extraction has persisted. Activists expect that when the concession ends in 2065, restoring the natural environment may prove impossible, potentially requiring extension of the permit and the construction of new desalination facilities.
The current scarcity of water and rising energy costs complicate both salt removal efforts and ICL’s Catalan plans. The company’s latest annual balance sheet shows a temporary increase in losses alongside higher turnover. The Israeli multinational reported a 36 percent revenue rise in 2022 driven by higher volumes and prices in potash, accompanied by a 58 million euro investment in Catalan facilities in 2021. The subsidiary nonetheless posted a 44 million euro loss due to elevated energy costs.