The restoration of Mina Beatriz, located in Oliete (Teruel) and carried out by Euroarce (Grupo SAMCA), serves as a benchmark for sustainable mine restoration.
Since 2022, Euroarce has been developing a collaboration with the social organisation Apadrina un Olivo to restore and establish olive groves on land previously used for clay mining. Its mission focuses on fostering the sustainable and economic development of villages at risk of depopulation.
The non-profit organisation also runs School Year Aboard, an educational programme through which American students spend a year learning Spanish. This initiative forms part of the reforestation and land regeneration plants implemented in Oliete in partnership with Euroarce, operator of Mina Beatriz for clay extraction.
To support these objectives, Euroarce prepares plots within the restored areas of Mina Beatriz that are suitable for olive cultivation. Once mining activities on the land have concluded, land reshaping is carried out in accordance with the restoration plan, followed by the spreading of topsoil on the plots, where new olive trees are planted on a regular basis.
Priority is given to transplanting olive trees affected by new mining areas, whenever possible, as it results in greater CO₂ mitigation than planting new trees. The project plays an key role in soil regeneration, bringing new life to the land, capturing carbon and mitigating the impacts of drought. It also contributes to retaining the local population by promoting sustainable land management.
Euroarce has also collaborated in the restoration of housing to accommodate more than 40 workers from Apadrina un Olivo, contributing to the revitalisation of the town of Oliete. The local school, once close to closing due to lack of pupils, now has arround thirty students.