Published September 22, 2021 at 11:24 AM
Science. Nordic authorities have measured and discovered a great potential for extracting critical metals from the Nordic bedrock. In several cases, these are metals and minerals that are of central importance for the development of new and energy-efficient technology.
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The metals cobalt and lithium are critical for the battery industry along with the mineral graphite. Rare earth metals, on the other hand, are fundamental for engines in electric vehicles and generators in wind turbines.
Cobalt is also an important raw material in modern society. In industry, the use is very large, and the metal is central to technology for environmentally friendly energy. At the same time, extraction in Europe is very small.
Most of the raw materials, including cobalt, are today classified as “critical” within the EU, as they are of great economic importance to European industry and because access to them is extremely uncertain. , as they have to be imported from third countries.
The vast majority of them are minerals in minerals that are mined in deposits around the world. European production is mostly lacking at present.
But a report from the Swedish Geological Survey, as well as its sister authorities in the Nordic countries, shows that the Nordic countries have good potential for the production of several of these raw materials based on existing knowledge. <./p>
The Nordic countries have in part a unique geological diversity and a mining and metal processing industry that is at the forefront when it comes to new environmentally friendly technology. However, the distribution between the different countries is uneven, depending on different geological developments. The state of knowledge for several of these metals and minerals also varies, and is generally low compared to traditional base and precious metals.
The authorities therefore recommend that new investigations and research be started as soon as possible, they write in a press release.