I've reached fulgora just to realize that i'm softlocked.
The research to unlock scrap recycling (which recycles some barrel into stuff including holmium ore) is behind getting holmium ore (actually holmium ore). i would have expected to unlock the research by mining fulgorite or fulgorite pieces, but that didn't do it.
funnily enough i don't need scrap recycling at all but i sadly to need the research to continue researching.
