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FromNatasha Berger
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Bjarne Kommnick
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A company in Norway has discovered a huge deposit of rare earths. The raw materials are of enormous importance for modern technology.
Kassel – After three years of intensive research, a Norwegian mining company announced a sensational discovery at the beginning of June: a massive deposit of rare earths in the so-called Fen Complex in the Norwegian province of Telemark. It is probably the largest of its kind in Europe. A geologist sees it as a “milestone”. Researchers are also searching for rare earths in the Harz Mountains.
“Milestone for us”: Mining company discovers 8.8 million tonnes of rare earths
The discovered raw materials are of crucial importance for modern technology. Initially, only a small deposit was suspected, but new investigations have shown that around 8.8 million tonnes of these metals are present in the deposit. Rare Earths Norway, the mining company that made the discovery, explains in a noticethat an independent third party has already confirmed the significant mineral resource.
“This is a milestone for us that could be of great importance for the local community in Nome, but also for Norway and Europe for generations to come,” says geologist Trond Watne. The metals discovered, including neodymium, terbium and dysprosium, are essential for modern technologies. They are needed to manufacture wind turbines, electric cars, displays, batteries and solar cells.
Mining company plans to start mining raw material deposits from 2030
Although these metals are not, strictly speaking, rare and many of the 17 rare earth elements are relatively common in Germany, they are difficult to extract. They are often contained in compounds in ore layers, which makes mining complex and often very environmentally damaging. Rare Earths Norway plans to start mining in 2030 and promises “significantly lower impact on climate and environment” compared to traditional value chains for these metals.
The CEO of the Norwegian mining company is convinced that the discovery and the associated extraction project underline “the potential and opportunity for Europe to invest in world-class mining and processing projects that secure our industrial value chains.” The next step is to build a pilot factory near the recently discovered deposit. There, new technologies will be tested and mineral processing methods improved. Investments of ten billion krone (867 million euros) are required in the first phase alone.
Demand for rare earths is expected to double by 2040 – so far around 90 percent came from China
Demand for the raw materials found in Norway is steadily increasing. According to the International Energy Agency, the need for these raw materials will double by 2040 if member states pursue the emissions target. The German government is already warning of raw material shortages. However, the supply of rare earths is limited and geographically unevenly distributed. Europe currently sources around 90 percent of its rare earths from China, which leads to a significant dependency. In order to reduce this dependency, countries around the world are looking for their own deposits.
In 2023, a significant breakthrough was made in Sweden: the largest deposit of these metals in Europe to date was discovered in the Per Geijer deposit near Kiruna. The discovery in Norway could cover around ten percent of the EU’s demand for rare earths. (nbe/AFP)
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