On July 1, 2025, after completing all the necessary administrative, technical, and environmental procedures, and after signing the agreement with the Alcorisa City Council for the development of extractive activity, VESCO Clays Spain began extraction and industrial operations at the new Caballero mine, located in the municipality of Alcorisa, in the province of Teruel.
The Caballero mine will become a strategic source of high-quality clay extraction, with a production capacity of up to 150,000 tonnes per year, ensuring a continuous supply of raw materials for the manufacture of ceramic products for the company’s customers.
The project will be developed using technologies that do not involve the use of explosives. In addition, a mobile mixing plant will be installed near the mine for the primary preparation of blends, so Caballero will operate as a mining–industrial complex. The installation of solar panels to power the infrastructure is also planned. Likewise, before the start of extraction activities, road repair works were carried out in the area.
Since its founding in 2020, VESCO Clays Spain has invested more than EUR 9.29 million in the Spanish economy, of which EUR 4.62 million has been allocated to the development of mining activities.
The initial investment in the Caballero deposit amounts to EUR 641,500, with an additional EUR 1.5 million planned in the coming years. To date, the company has created 29 direct jobs, as well as a number of indirect positions through subcontracted companies, most of them filled by local residents from the regions where activities take place. At least three new vacancies linked to Caballero will open this year.
“The start of operations at the Caballero mine is not only an expansion of our production capacity, but also an investment in the sustainable development of the region. We are grateful to the Alcorisa community for their trust and collaboration,” said Oleksiy Afanásiev, Director of VESCO Clays Spain.
In line with its environmental policy, VESCO Clays Spain carries out its operations respecting the nesting periods of protected bird species, the conservation of forests and wildlife migration corridors, and complying with mandatory land restoration.
The work plan includes a seasonal extraction cycle, from July to January, in accordance with Bonelli’s eagle protection programmes in the region of Aragón. Starting in 2027, and in parallel with extraction activities, restoration work will begin and will continue until the completion of the full 15-year cycle.
The Caballero mine is VESCO Clays Spain’s second operation in Spain, after the Encarnita mine in the municipality of Berge, Teruel, where 128,000 tonnes of clay were extracted in 2024. In total, in 2024 VESCO Clays Spain sold 575,000 tonnes of ceramic raw material. With this new project, VESCO ClAYS SPAIN strengthens the VESCO Group’s position in the Spanish market, supplying local raw materials enriched with high-quality Ukrainian clay for the production of premium ceramics, tiles, and sanitaryware.
