Critical Minerals and Energy Intelligence

EU approves first 47 projects worth $24 billion to secure critical raw materials supply

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The European Commission has officially approved the first 47 strategic projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) to diversify and secure critical mineral supply.

The projects address 14 of the 17 strategic raw materials identified in the CRMA:

  • extraction (25 projects)
  • processing (24 projects)
  • recycling (10 projects)
  • and substitution (2 projects)

The primary focus is electric battery metals, green transition, digital transformation, and defense capabilities:

  • lithium (22 projects)
  • nickel (12 projects)
  • graphite (11 projects)
  • cobalt (10 projects)
  • manganese (7 projects)
  • tungsten (3 projects)
  • and magnesium (1 project)

The selected projects are across 13 EU member states, include: Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Sweden – represent a total investment of nearly US$24 billion, or €22.5 billion.

Approved EU strategic projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act CRMA - The Oregon Group - Critical Minerals and Energy Intelligence

Streamlined permitting and coordinated support

To expedite the operationalization of these projects, the EU Commission, Member States, and financial institutions will provide coordinated support, particularly in facilitating access to finance and connecting project promoters with relevant off-takers.

Furthermore, the projects will benefit from streamlined permitting processes, ensuring predictability for investors while upholding stringent environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. Extraction projects will be subject to a permit-granting process not exceeding 27 months, while other projects will have a 15-month limit, in accordance with the CRMA.

Key strategic projects

The approved projects showcase a diverse range of initiatives across the EU. Highlights include:

  • Ageli (France): an integrated lithium extraction and processing project by Eramet aimed at supplying battery-grade lithium
  • Barroso Lithium Project (Portugal): a lithium extraction project by Savannah Lithium focused on battery-grade lithium
  • Chvaletice Manganese Project (Czechia): an integrated manganese extraction and processing project by Euro Manganese Inc targeting battery-grade manganese
  • NorthCYCLE (Sweden): a recycling project by Northvolt Revolt AB recovering manganese, lithium, graphite, nickel, and cobalt from batteries
  • Verde Magnesium (Romania): a magnesium extraction project by Verde Magnesium SRL aimed at supplying magnesium metal

Our analysis on how Europe is struggling to avoid another geopolitical disaster, this time over critical minerals:

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