Netherlands’ plans for critical materials « Euro Weekly News

The Netherlands Materials Observatory (NMO) officially opened on February 12.

The Observatory will investigate and chart how and where Dutch companies can source critical raw materials like the lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt needed for defence and smartphones, medical equipment, batteries, solar panels and electric vehicles.

“The Netherlands relies on other countries for the import of these critical raw materials,” the NMO explained.

“That makes Dutch industry vulnerable to supply disruptions. NMO will provide insight into the supply and availability of these critical raw materials in the Netherlands and the European Union.”

Should these become unavailable, the Observatory will notify the Netherlands’ government, but it would also sound the alarm should the country become too dependent on any one country for supplies.

Europe reliant on imports of critical raw materials

The European Union has listed 34 critical raw materials, of which 17 are considered strategic but seldom encountered in Europe. They are more often found in Canada, South America, Australia, several African countries, Russia and China.  This last is already the largest producer of rare earth elements, magnesium, tungsten, antimony, gallium and germanium.

“More importantly, countries like China have been trying to gain control of the entire chain, from mining to the production process for many decades,” Allard Castelein –  Special Representative Raw Materials Strategy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs – told the RTL broadcaster.

“With the current geopolitical tensions, it could well happen that access to these products will be reduced.”

Nevertheless, there are “significant” known deposits of critical minerals and metals within Europe.

Sweden possesses antimony, fluorite, phosphate minerals, graphite, cobalt, metals belonging to the platinum group, rare earth elements, bismuth and tungsten.

Spain occupies relevant space in lithium mining

Spain possesses strontium, fluorspar, tantalum, silicon and niobium while the CIC Energy Centre in the Baque Region considers there is sufficient potential for Spain – which possesses 13 per cent of Europe’s known reserves – to occupy a “relevant” space in lithium mining. Deposits in Castilla y Leon, Galicia and Extremadura are considered “promising” while those of the lithium mine in San Jose del Valle (Cadiz), are thought to be amongst the largest in Europe.

Not that local populations necessarily welcome what delights the mining industry.

Extremadura has important reserves in San Jose de Valdeflores and Las Navas in Caceres province but 22 of 25 councillors at Caceres city hall voted in 2022 against plans for opencast lithium mining, which they said threatened the area’s local heritage.

But, as Allard Castelein pointed out, “Once access to critical raw materials stalls, the risks are great.  For example, you wo buy a phone.”