Arctic Mineral Extraction Advances as European Consortium Secures Strategic Greenlandic Resources
European consortium secures strategic Arctic mining rights for an environmentally conscious anorthosite project in Greenland, impacting global metal supply chains.
Arctic mineral extraction has moved into a new phase as Greenland grants a significant 30-year mining permit to European partners whilst rebuffing continued American interest in the territory’s substantial resources. The Danish-French consortium Greenland Anorthosite Mining has secured exclusive rights to extract anorthosite, a moon-like white rock that could reshape sustainable aluminium production.
European Consortium Secures Strategic Arctic Mining Rights
Greenland Anorthosite Mining (GAM), backed by French investment firm Jean Boulle Group alongside state investment funds from Denmark and Greenland, received approval to mine anorthosite at Piiaaffik Itersarmiut Allit, near Qeqertarsuatsiaat fjord in western Greenland. The white rock, composed mainly of aluminium, micro silica and calcium, mirrors material brought back during NASA’s Apollo missions.
Greenland’s Mineral Resources Minister Naaja Nathanielsen said the goal was to scale the project to become a climate-friendly alternative to bauxite in producing aluminium for aircraft, vehicles and defence. ‘My hope is that the mine will be operational in five years,’ Nathanielsen told Reuters.
The extracted material will initially serve the fibreglass industry as a replacement for kaolin. However, the broader ambition centres on providing a sustainable alternative to bauxite in aluminium production, which could significantly reduce the carbon footprint of materials critical to global supply chains.
American Investment Interest Fails to Materialise
The permit award comes against the backdrop of sustained American interest in Greenland’s resources, particularly from President Donald Trump who has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring the autonomous Arctic island. Trump’s focus on Greenland reflects broader US concerns about critical mineral access and competition with China over rare earth elements.
Associate Professor Jesper Willaing Zeuthen at Aalborg University told Newsweek that Trump’s interest in Greenland’s resources is likely to focus more on securing long-term investment opportunities rather than immediate mine development. However, Greenlandic legislation makes this approach difficult since mining licences are temporary and require costly activities on sites to maintain them.
Minister Nathanielsen noted that whilst private US business delegations had visited the island this year, no formal dialogue with the American administration had started nor brought about increased interest in direct investment. ‘We have welcomed a number of investors, but we have not yet seen any concrete example of American funds being injected into Greenland’s business community,’ she said.
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