The European Commission has expanded its list of strategic initiatives under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) by designating 13 new international projects aimed at diversifying and securing Europe’s long-term supply of essential raw materials. The newly added projects—located in Canada, Greenland, the UK, Norway, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Ukraine, Brazil, Zambia, Madagascar, Malawi, South Africa, and New Caledonia—complement the 47 strategic projects within the EU announced in March, bringing the total to 60 priority projects.
The Commission’s focus lies heavily on critical battery materials, with 10 of the new projects targeting lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite. Two others center on rare earth elements (REEs), including Frontier Rare Earths’ Zandkopsdrift project in South Africa and Mkango Resources’ Songwe Hill project in Malawi, which will supply key REEs like neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium.
Mkango’s Songwe Hill is paired with its Pulawy separation plant in Poland, forming a vertically integrated supply chain now backed by the EU. Together, the operations will produce 1,953 tonnes/year of Nd/Pr oxides and 56 tonnes/year of Dy/Tb oxides in the first five years of full production, with both projects enjoying coordinated EU-level support.
In Zambia, Kobaloni Energy received strategic status for its cobalt refinery project—Africa’s first—viewed as critical for establishing a secure and traceable battery-grade cobalt supply. CEO Johnny Velloza described the EU endorsement as a major milestone toward accelerating development.
GreenRoc Strategic Materials’ Amitsoq graphite project in Greenland also gained strategic designation, becoming the first and only such project in the country. The EU’s Commissioner for Industrial Strategy, Stéphane Séjourné, is expected to visit the site this year, underlining its growing strategic weight.
The 13 new international projects are estimated to require a total of €5.5 billion in capital investment, with the Commission committing to deeper cooperation with host nations—particularly those with existing raw materials partnerships.
The CRMA, which came into force in May 2024, provides a legislative backbone for the EU’s ambition to reduce critical material dependencies and accelerate projects essential to the green and digital transitions.
