Barreiro carries a proud industrial past shaped by factories and decades of work that built both livelihoods and identity. But alongside that history lies another legacy: vast deposits of phosphogypsum left behind by phosphate production, still marking the landscape and raising unanswered questions about safety, responsibility and restoration.
In the heart of North Macedonia, the city of Veles carries a long industrial legacy — once known for its metallurgy and chemical production, today it stands at the crossroads of environmental recovery and civic renewal. This interview brings together members of the Local Youth Council of Veles, a group of students determined to learn, act, and speak out for their city’s future.
Intro In certain areas across Europe, phosphogypsum (PG) stacks have become enduring landmarks of industrial prosperity—and unresolved environmental risk. From the Danube towns of Prahovo (Serbia) and Turnu Măgurele (Romania), to coastal Cartagena (Spain), and from...
The Prahovo PG stack in Serbia is not an immediate radiation emergency, but it is clearly an environmental hot spot that requires careful management. Some pathways are being tested, like purification by recrystallization, or the ones in FICFighters, to produce usable...
Intro Barreiro carries a proud industrial past shaped by factories and decades of work that built both livelihoods and identity. But alongside that history lies another legacy: vast deposits of phosphogypsum left behind by phosphate production, still marking the...
Intro The second FIC-FIGHTERS Citizen Event: “Voices for Change: exploring solutions for the Barreiro stack,” took place on the11 November 2025, where citizens and local stakeholders gathered at the Public Library of Barreiro (Portugal). This workshop created a space...
These images document the FIC-Fighters in Veles: Field Work and Community Engagement project's work in Veles, North Macedonia, one of the key case studies where the project explores innovative approaches to phosphogypsum management. The gallery captures field research...
Phosphogypsum (фосфорен гипс) is a by-product of phosphate fertilizer production, rich in calcium sulfate but also containing naturally occurring radionuclides such as uranium and radium. While it may superficially resemble ordinary gypsum, its origin, chemical...
Intro On 24th September 2025, citizens from Veles gathered at Europe House to participate in the first FIC-Fighters Citizen Workshop under the theme “Voices for Change – Exploring Solutions for the Veles Stack”. The event aimed to reconnect the community with the...
Near the village of Zgropolci, along the Veles–Gradsko road (North Macedonia), there is a large phosphogypsum stack created by the former fertilizer factory HIV-Veles, which operated from 1979 to 2003. The plant produced phosphoric acid and fertilizers (it was built...
Intro In the heart of North Macedonia, the city of Veles carries a long industrial legacy — once known for its metallurgy and chemical production, today it stands at the crossroads of environmental recovery and civic renewal. This interview brings together members of...
The report “From Waste to Inventory. Phosphogypsum, the business case” is a global, recent state-of-the-art compilation of case studies from the phosphate fertilizer industry (International Fertilizer Association, 2025) that documents how phosphogypsum (PG) is being...