MINEX Forum

Tag: Green Transition

  • Nordic Innovation Launches Call for Proposals on Secondary Critical Raw Materials Value Chains

    Nordic Innovation Launches Call for Proposals on Secondary Critical Raw Materials Value Chains

    Nordic Innovation has announced a call for proposals aimed at developing industry-driven value chains for secondary critical raw materials (CRMs) in the Nordic region. With a budget of 10 million NOK ( €915,219.99), the initiative seeks to enhance the recycling and domestic supply of CRMs, which are essential for the green and digital transitions. The deadline for submission is set for 23 September 2026, with project funding ranging from 2 to 5 million NOK per project. The funding decision will be made in November 2026, with projects expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2026 and run for a maximum of 36 months.

    The call for proposals is part of the Nordic Innovation programme, Innovative Solutions for 2030, which aims to accelerate the introduction of solutions for the green transition. The Nordic region is estimated to have around 900,000 tonnes of CRMs embedded in waste and industrial side streams, highlighting the untapped potential for recycling and resource recovery. However, the lack of functioning value chains poses a significant challenge, as many initiatives fail to progress beyond early-stage development. This funding opportunity aims to address these barriers by supporting projects that validate key assumptions in the value chain and bring together relevant actors across the industry.

    Eligible projects must focus on developing concrete value chains for secondary CRMs, such as those derived from batteries, electronic waste, and construction waste. The evaluation criteria for proposals will consider the project’s impact, relevance to Nordic Innovation’s mission, and the competence of the consortium involved. Strong industrial involvement and access to relevant material streams will be crucial for successful applications. The initiative is expected to contribute to strengthening Nordic competitiveness, resource security, and the development of circular value chains for critical raw materials.

  • European Metals Day 2026: Shaping the Future of Europe’s Metals Sector

    European Metals Day 2026: Shaping the Future of Europe’s Metals Sector

    On 29 September 2026, the European Metals community will convene at the European Parliament in Brussels for the highly anticipated #MetalsDay26. This flagship event will bring together members of the European Metals sector, invited guests, policymakers, and industry leaders to engage in critical discussions about the future of Europe’s metals value chains. The event, hosted by prominent Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) including Radan Kanev, Prof. Yannis Maniatis, and Bruno Tobback, promises to be a significant platform for dialogue and collaboration.

    The agenda for #MetalsDay26 includes panel discussions featuring contributions from notable MEPs such as Hildegard Bentele, Sara Matthieu, and Christophe Grudler. Together, these industry leaders and policymakers will address Europe’s key industrial priorities, focusing on competitiveness, sustainability, circularity, and the strategic role of metals in facilitating the green and digital transitions. As Europe strives to enhance its industrial resilience and achieve strategic autonomy, this event aims to foster meaningful dialogue across the metals value chain, contributing to the shaping of the European metals sector’s future.

    European Metals Day 2026 is expected to play a vital role in aligning the interests of various stakeholders within the metals industry, ensuring that Europe remains at the forefront of global metal production and innovation. By addressing pressing issues and exploring collaborative opportunities, the event seeks to strengthen the position of European metals in a rapidly evolving industrial landscape.

  • European 2030 Critical Raw Materials targets at risk from ‘implementation bottlenecks’

    European 2030 Critical Raw Materials targets at risk from ‘implementation bottlenecks’

    A new policy brief warns that Europe’s ambitious 2030 targets for critical raw materials are under threat, not from a lack of resources, but from a failure to scale industrial operations quickly enough. With less than five years to go, experts are calling for urgent action to de-risk investment and harmonise regulations across the continent.

    The delivery gap

    A collaborative report from REESOURCE and ten other Horizon Europe projects has highlighted that the EU’s transition to green and digital technologies is currently hampered by significant implementation barriers. Despite the benchmarks set by the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA)—which mandates 10% domestic extraction, 40% processing, and 25% recycling by 2030—the window for delivery is rapidly closing.

    The brief identifies that the primary risk to these goals is not geological scarcity, but rather “delayed scale-up, fragmented governance, and investment uncertainty”.

    Key barriers to industrial scale-up

    Stakeholders from across the value chain, including mining companies, research organisations, and SMEs, have identified several critical bottlenecks:

    • The “Valley of Death”: Limited access to finance for pilot and first-of-a-kind (FOAK) plants remains the most significant hurdle. Market volatility and price uncertainty frequently stall projects between the research phase and commercial deployment.

    • Regulatory Red Tape: Fragmented waste classifications and inconsistent cross-border transport rules for raw materials continue to undermine the efficiency of recycling flows.

    • Permitting Delays: While the CRMA introduces “fast-track” timelines, the actual administrative capacity and interpretation varies wildly across Member States, damaging investor confidence.

    • Social Acceptance: The report suggests that failing to engage local communities early can lead to delays that “outweigh financial or regulatory barriers combined,” particularly in primary extraction projects.

    Recommendations for action

    To course-correct, the policy brief recommends moving toward milestone-based funding pathways and introducing mandatory traceability requirements—such as Digital Product Passports—for devices containing rare-earth magnets. Furthermore, it stresses that primary extraction and recycling must be developed in parallel to ensure a resilient European supply chain.

    As the 2030 deadline approaches, the focus must shift from legislative design to the “operational delivery” of industrial facilities.

  • Europe’s Green Energy Dream Collides With Local Fears at Czech Lithium Deposit Straddling German Border

    Europe’s Green Energy Dream Collides With Local Fears at Czech Lithium Deposit Straddling German Border

    In Cinovec, a small mountain town perched on the Czech-German border known for its clean air, pine forests and spa tourism, plans to extract one of Europe’s largest lithium deposits have opened a fault line between the promises of the green energy transition and the concerns of the communities expected to live with its consequences.

    The project is led by Geomet, the Czech subsidiary of London-listed European Metals Holdings, which argues that developing the deposit will bring jobs, investment and economic growth to a region that has long struggled to diversify beyond traditional industries. The Cinovec deposit has been confirmed as one of the largest hard-rock lithium resources in Europe, and its development is seen as strategically significant for the continent’s ambition to reduce dependence on imported battery materials, particularly from China.

    But for many residents, the prospect of industrial-scale mining in a landscape still bearing the scars of decades of coal extraction sits uneasily. The area around Cinovec is in the early stages of ecological recovery from the environmental damage wrought by its communist-era mining past, and locals fear that lithium extraction could set that recovery back — contaminating water sources, generating dust and noise, and undermining the region’s carefully rebuilt identity as a destination for health tourism and outdoor recreation. Tourism represents a significant share of the local economy, and business owners worry that the imagery of an active mine would deter the visitors on whom they depend.

    Geomet has maintained that the project will meet strict environmental standards and that modern mining techniques bear little resemblance to the open-cast coal operations that scarred the landscape in previous generations. The company points to the project’s classification as a strategic resource by both the European Union and the Czech government as evidence of its broader importance.

    The standoff at Cinovec is not unique. Across Europe, communities sitting above critical mineral deposits are grappling with the same fundamental tension: the green transition requires materials that must come from somewhere, and the places asked to provide them are not always willing to bear the costs that the broader project demands. The question of who benefits and who pays — and whether environmental pledges made at the planning stage can be trusted once extraction begins — remains unresolved at Cinovec as it does across the continent.

  • Bosnia’s “Green Transition” Dilemma: International Mining Companies Move In as Communities Fight to Protect Land, Water and Livelihoods

    Bosnia’s “Green Transition” Dilemma: International Mining Companies Move In as Communities Fight to Protect Land, Water and Livelihoods

    In the gentle hills of Majevica, a low mountain range in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina where farmers grow strawberries, keep bees and distil rakija, a battle is unfolding that mirrors conflicts playing out across much of the developing world: the collision between the European Union’s hunger for critical minerals and the communities whose land sits above them.

    Since September 2023, when residents learned by chance that Swiss prospecting company Arcore was preparing to drill for lithium on the mountain, a grassroots anti-mining movement has taken root across the region. Local activist Andrijana Pekić and her neighbours in Lopare founded an informal organisation to educate their community about the dangers of lithium extraction, collaborating with established environmental groups including Bijeljina-based Eko Put and Tuzla’s Karton Revolucija. Their core argument is unambiguous: “There is no such thing as clean lithium mining.” Tailings from extraction processes containing sulphuric acid and hazardous chemicals contaminate streams, groundwater and soil; rock dust pollutes the air for miles. Majevica’s waterways feed the Drina and Sava rivers, meaning environmental damage would ripple across a vast surrounding region encompassing Tuzla, Bijeljina, Brčko and Zvornik.

    Activists have conducted two petition drives, in 2024 and 2025, calling for a ban on lithium mining and the establishment of a nature reserve across most of the mountain. Both were dismissed by the Republika Srpska parliament. Arcore, meanwhile, has already conducted drill tests on private land — in some cases without the knowledge of landowners — with documented consequences. After the company drilled on the property of Jovan Krsmanović in the village of Vukosavci, both his well and a neighbour’s dried up entirely.

    Majevica is far from an isolated case. Lithium, magnesium, copper, nickel, cobalt and other minerals featured on the EU’s 2024 critical raw materials list have been identified across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and international mining companies have been awarded concessions across the country in circumstances activists and legal experts describe as opaque and frequently unlawful. A central grievance concerns a long-standing legal prohibition on the sale or change of use of state-owned property — a restriction rooted in unresolved property succession disputes following Yugoslavia’s dissolution — which both entities have repeatedly violated when doing so serves favoured investors.

    The most prominent example is the Vareš municipality in central Bosnia, where a concession was granted to Eastern Mining in 2018 and later acquired and expanded by Adriatic Metals, covering silver, zinc, lead and barite deposits. A significant portion of the land falls on state property. The company has been found guilty of clear-cutting forested land, while mining at the Rupice mine has contaminated drinking water supplies for the downstream town of Kakanj. In July 2024, Bosnia’s Constitutional Court ruled that the Federation’s granting of state-owned land use was unconstitutional — yet excavation was permitted to continue regardless.

    Federation Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić has shown little sympathy for conservationists. He dismissed those seeking to protect land around Vareš, suggesting it was irrational to allow “scrubland they call state property to lie useless rather than become a valuable investment.”

    The contradiction at the heart of the crisis is captured bluntly by Snežana Jagodić-Vujić of Eko Put: “Our entire country is being attacked. The green transition is clean there, but dirty here.” Campaigners point out that significant lithium deposits exist within the EU itself — in Portugal and Spain — where stricter environmental laws and stronger rule of law have at least slowed the pace of extraction following mass public protests. Bosnia and Herzegovina, riven with corruption and institutional dysfunction dating to the Dayton constitutional settlement, has so far offered mining companies a far more permissive environment.

  • ‘Europe’s Lithium Paradox’: Documentary Highlights Europe’s Struggle Between Green Ambitions and Mining Reality

    ‘Europe’s Lithium Paradox’: Documentary Highlights Europe’s Struggle Between Green Ambitions and Mining Reality

    Europe is facing a “critical crossroads” in its green transition, warns Dr. Peter Tom Jones, director of the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals, whose new documentary Europe’s Lithium Paradox explores the continent’s mounting dilemma over lithium extraction.

    The one-hour film focuses on two key European lithium projects — in Portugal and Serbia — both stalled amid fierce public opposition and political hesitation. As Europe pushes to electrify transport and expand renewable energy, it finds itself torn between the need for raw materials and growing citizen resistance to mining.

    “You can’t recycle your way out of a fossil fuel economy,” Jones says. “You have to mine first — we simply don’t have enough scrap in Europe, and we won’t until at least 2035. That leaves us with a ten-year gap.”

    Europe’s Feedstock Crisis

    Jones argues that Europe’s transition to clean energy is being undermined by a lack of “feedstock” — the raw materials required for batteries, solar panels, and electric vehicles. While recycling giants like Umicore have proven high-level battery recovery is possible, the continent’s reliance on imported lithium remains a major vulnerability.

    He estimates that lithium mined in Serbia alone could power at least one million electric vehicles, potentially creating a “new ecosystem” including a refinery, battery recycling hub, and full supply chain infrastructure.

    “With ten or more industrial-scale mining sites — compared to just four today, one of which is idle — Europe could achieve self-sufficiency in lithium,” he insists. “We need to act now to avoid sleepwalking into the abyss.”

    A “Minerals Cold War”

    In the film, Jones warns that the geopolitical race for critical minerals is intensifying.

    “China and the U.S. aren’t playing by the rules — they’re making their own,” he says. “Donald Trump is pushing a capitalist model with minimum price floors for lithium, while China is restricting exports of technology metals. Europe is a bystander in this minerals cold war.”

    He argues that Europe’s regulatory delays, public protests, and political indecision risk leaving it strategically dependent on foreign supply chains — with devastating consequences for its industrial competitiveness.

    Between Industry and Activism

    Europe’s Lithium Paradox aims to spark informed debate, but its reception has been polarized. In both Serbia and Portugal, local communities refused to speak on camera, accusing the filmmakers of promoting mining interests. Ironically, mining companies also distanced themselves from the project, with some reportedly banning employees from watching it for being “too critical.”

    Jones acknowledges the tension but maintains that the documentary is “grounded in science, not politics.”

    “We’re trying to balance innovation with real-world concerns. I’ve heard the phrase ‘you can’t fight feelings with facts’ — but we can at least try to change the narrative,” he says.

    The film is currently touring European universities, R&D institutes, and industry conferences, and is also available on Amazon Prime.

    “Europe must move beyond entrenched positions and forge a united front,” Jones concludes. “This is not about taking sides — it’s about survival.”

  • Kiruna’s Shifting Ground: Swedish Mining Town Faces Painful Trade-Off in Europe’s Raw Materials Push

    Kiruna’s Shifting Ground: Swedish Mining Town Faces Painful Trade-Off in Europe’s Raw Materials Push

    In the far north of Sweden, the residents of Kiruna are once again being forced to pack up and move — this time, for the second or even third time. Tanja Mattila and her husband had just spent about $300,000 on a new home when a letter arrived from LKAB, Sweden’s state-owned mining company, informing them that their neighborhood would soon become unsafe due to ground movement from the expanding iron ore mine.

    “It was a shock,” said Mattila, a 54-year-old language teacher. “We planned to stay here until we retire.” She and thousands of others are caught in the tension between local life and Europe’s growing appetite for raw materials deemed essential to the green transition.

    Kiruna, which produces nearly 80% of Europe’s iron ore, is also home to one of the continent’s largest deposits of rare earth minerals — metals vital for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and smartphones. As the EU pushes to secure domestic supplies of critical resources and reduce reliance on China, the mining boom in Kiruna is accelerating. But so are the social costs.

    LKAB, seeking to boost production by 50% over the next decade, says its operations are vital for Europe’s energy independence. “If you want self-reliance, you need to mine,” EU Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné said during a recent visit. Yet, for Kiruna’s 23,000 residents, that strategy means homes, schools, and shops are being demolished and rebuilt miles away from the original town center.

    Earlier this year, the relocation of Kiruna’s iconic wooden church — a nationally treasured monument — was broadcast live, hailed as a feat of engineering and cultural preservation. But only days later, residents learned that 6,000 more people would have to move. Local officials, blindsided by the announcement, described the mood as one of mourning.

    For some business owners, the uncertainty is overwhelming. Grocery store owner Fredrik Spett noticed his shop floor rising as the ground shifted beneath it. Across the road, hotelier Jan Grönberg is unsure whether he’ll receive enough compensation to rebuild. “It’s hard to find the motivation,” he said.

    LKAB insists that no one will be left behind and that all residents will be compensated. Still, critics argue that the company and government failed to adequately communicate the scale of the project or involve locals in planning. “It’s a matter of survival for Kiruna,” said Energy and Enterprise Minister Ebba Busch, “but also a matter of sovereignty for Sweden and Europe.”

    The town’s social democrat official, Mats Taaveniku, gestures at a model in the new town hall where a red ribbon marks the previous demolition line. The new one, he says, should be black — “for mourning.”

    While Kiruna symbolizes Europe’s push for “strategic autonomy” in critical minerals, it also raises difficult questions about who pays the price for the continent’s green transition. As excavators tear down the Ferrum Hotel and graffiti nearby asks, “Is this what happens to a town no one cares about?”, residents can’t help but wonder if Europe’s sovereignty is worth their sacrifice.

  • Tajikistan Aims to Become a Key Producer of Critical Metals for the Green Transition

    Tajikistan Aims to Become a Key Producer of Critical Metals for the Green Transition

    Tajikistan holds reserves of ten out of twelve metals essential for the global green transition and is actively developing their production, Minister of Industry and New Technologies Sherali Kabir announced on October 14 at the Dushanbe – 2025 International Investment Forum. According to the minister, six of these critical metals are already being produced domestically, with plans to further expand operations and integrate into the new global supply chain of rare earth elements.

    Critical metals, such as those used in solar and wind power systems as well as electric vehicles, are vital to green technologies. Kabir highlighted that during the Soviet era, only three plants in the entire USSR produced rare earth metals—two of them located in Tajikistan and one in Russia. Negotiations are currently underway with several international companies to modernize these facilities. “I am confident that in the near future we will see very good results,” Kabir said.

    Special focus has been placed on elements like antimony and stibnite, which play an important role in the green transition. “Tajikistan ranks second in the world in terms of antimony reserves,” Kabir noted, adding that four antimony plants are currently under development, ranging from feasibility studies to active construction stages.

    The minister also reported that Tajikistan has launched copper production—a key metal for the green economy—and plans to significantly increase output by attracting investment. Gold production is growing at around 20% annually, while the country also possesses large reserves of nickel and lithium. “We will be the first country in the CIS to produce lithium,” Kabir declared.

    Enterprises such as Azot and TALCO Gold are being positioned not only as regional leaders but as integral players in the global critical metals market. State programs are already in place to develop the mining sector, with Kabir expressing confidence that Tajikistan will soon secure a prominent place in the international market for metals vital to the green transition.

    He emphasized that international cooperation remains the main driver of growth for the metallurgical industry and that establishing new supply chains for rare earth and critical metals is essential to stabilizing global markets. The country’s president has made rapid industrialization a national priority—an approach that has already doubled Tajikistan’s industrial output over the past five years.

  • EU to Establish Critical Raw Materials Center for Joint Purchasing and Stockpiling Amid Rising Supply Risks

    EU to Establish Critical Raw Materials Center for Joint Purchasing and Stockpiling Amid Rising Supply Risks

    The European Union will set up a Critical Raw Materials Center to coordinate the joint purchasing and stockpiling of key minerals vital to industries such as defense, automotive manufacturing, and clean energy, under a new 2026 work plan unveiled by the European Commission on Tuesday.

    The initiative, described as part of Europe’s quest for “industrial sovereignty,” seeks to safeguard supplies of critical minerals and metals amid intensifying global competition and geopolitical uncertainty.

    “Our regional and global order is being redrawn. And Europe must fight for its place in a world where some major powers are either ambivalent or hostile to us,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in an address to the European Parliament.

    The planned Critical Raw Materials Center will monitor market flows, coordinate collective EU purchases, and maintain strategic reserves of essential resources — including rare earths, lithium, cobalt, and nickel — ensuring supply stability for strategic industries.

    The plan follows China’s announcement earlier this month of expanded export controls on rare-earth magnets and raw materials, citing national security concerns. Those restrictions have triggered alarm across global supply chains and prompted urgent discussions between EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič and his Chinese counterpart to seek a path forward.

    The move also builds on the EU’s 2023 Critical Raw Materials Act, which laid the foundation for diversifying mineral imports away from China and expanding domestic extraction, refining, and recycling capacity.

    Von der Leyen said the bloc must ensure autonomy not only in raw materials but also in “critical technologies that will shape the economy of tomorrow”, citing batteries, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced materials.

    As part of the broader 2026 European Work Plan, the Commission outlined six strategic pillars:

    Sustainable prosperity and competitiveness

    Defense and security

    Social model and innovation

    Quality of life

    Democracy and rule of law

    Global engagement

    Other measures include a new “European Product Act”, updates to public procurement rules, taxation and energy deregulation, and a European anti-corruption initiative. A new action plan against cyberbullying will also be introduced.

    In parallel, the EU announced plans to withdraw 25 stalled legislative proposals in 2026 to reduce bureaucratic burdens and respond to business pressure for faster, more flexible regulatory frameworks.

    Context: China’s Dominance and Europe’s Strategic Response
    China currently controls the majority of global refining capacity for rare earths and other critical minerals. The new export restrictions — and the risk of further escalation — have pushed Europe to accelerate diversification efforts through partnerships with countries such as Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia.

    By pooling resources and centralizing strategic oversight, Brussels hopes to shield European industries from supply shocks while strengthening its negotiating position in a more fragmented global economy.

  • Pljevlja Coal Mine Marks 73 Years with Record Results and Long-Term Concession

    Pljevlja Coal Mine Marks 73 Years with Record Results and Long-Term Concession

    The Pljevlja Coal Mine celebrated Miners’ Day and its 73rd anniversary with a ceremonial session attended by government officials, energy sector representatives, business associates, and the local community. Despite a challenging year, the company highlighted record results, ongoing modernization projects, and progress on critical infrastructure.

    CEO Nemanja Laković praised employees for ensuring the country’s energy stability and confirmed that nearly 70% of work on the demanding Ćehotina riverbed relocation project has been completed. “The planned overburden will be exceeded by ten percent if the pace continues, ensuring sufficient coal for the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant once it reconnects to the grid,” he said.

    The mine achieved positive financial results in the first half of 2025 without burdening its owner, Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG). Laković stressed that the company remains committed to both the energy sector and local community, with investments continuing despite the focus on urgent projects.

    Minister of Energy and Mining Admir Šahmanović acknowledged the year’s difficulties but commended miners for their dedication, emphasizing that the future of Montenegrin mining must align with modern standards and the principles of a just transition. EPCG chairman Milutin Đukanović added that the mine is well-positioned to support Montenegro’s green transition, including the development of large solar power plants.

    The event concluded with the signing of concession contracts extending coal exploitation rights in Pljevlja until 2050, securing the long-term utilization of reserves and reinforcing the mine’s role in Montenegro’s energy and economic landscape.